Germans have to carry identity cards, but they enjoy strict laws preventing government agencies from passing on personal data.

ECONOMIST: How other countries do it

During Erdogan's decade as prime minister, however, Turkey has relaxed laws that prosecute the expression of Kurdish identity.

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When villages form a nation, certain advantages are present such as mutual defense, a unified system of trade-enabling laws, and perhaps a greater sense of identity.

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Meanwhile, police have opened an investigation into whether Zee News broke broadcasting laws relating to disclosure of the victim's identity.

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Right-of-publicity laws, which give people the right to control the use of their identity.

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Its core argument is that existing laws and procedures already provide perfectly adequate protection and render the national-identity numbers innocuous.

ECONOMIST: Japan

Publicity laws grant famous personalities the right to control the commercial exploitation of certain aspects of their identity, such as their names and likenesses.

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Instead, data breaches are addressed by a patchwork of state laws, setting forth various requirements including notification of those affected, and sometimes fines and payment for identity theft monitoring for breach victims.

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