Now I'll turn to people living in Europe who care about keeping personal data out of the hands of far-flung marketing firms, insurance companies, lawyers, and other potentially undesirable users. If they display the Secure Assure seal, they offer you protection comparable to European countries following European laws. You have to read the site's privacy notice in order to make sure they use your data in ways you approve. True zealots can go to the Department of Commerce list and check whether it includes the company they're dealing with. If the Department of Commerce shows poor compliance for that company, you should stay away from it.
Nobody checks whether the company has done the things it claims to have done.
They might simply violate their own policy. They might not respond adequately to requests for data, complaints about misuse, or requirements that they compensate individuals for misuse. All these things allow you to touch off a minor earthquake of your own. But nothing is going to shake up a company unless you take action. Start by following the procedures posted by the company or by the organization responsible for auditing them.