Data privacy and protection has become a part of our everyday lives.
While January 28th marked the thirteenth annual international Data Privacy Day, the future of data privacy awareness and media literacy is a shared responsibility we all carry every day. Marketers and agencies especially have a duty to respect consumer rights and media consumption.
The initiative to observe Data Privacy Day was founded in Europe after polling showed European citizens were not aware of their data protection rights. The concept quickly gained international momentum as the U.S. and other regions began to follow suit.
As the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) – the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community and resource center – points out on their blog, Data Privacy Day still has an unfinished history.
The JUST Media team attended Data Privacy Day, 2020 organized by the National Cyber Security Alliance. There was a wide array of insightful content shared throughout the day, but the JUST Media team has distilled our top three takeaways from Data Privacy Day 2020:
1. Companies should use privacy in their pitch as a differentiator.
Highlighted during the National Cyber Security Alliance’s webinar, “A Vision for the Future,” experts evaluated the business equity involved for businesses who can tout data privacy capabilities. Along with being an added value for businesses, privacy policies and practices can become part of your brand’s storytelling and can offer a competitive edge.
Harvard Business Review echoes this sentiment that relates a brand’s favor-ability alongside data protection. Their research shows that of privacy savvy consumers, “90% believe the ways their data is treated reflects how they are treated as customers.”
2. Consider your business partners data protection practices and policies when electing to work with them.
JUST Media’s approach to vendor relationships includes a robust investigation of their privacy policies and practices. Proactive measures mitigate business risks around compliance while positioning your brand as a leader in the field.
There’s a future vision for data privacy that’s not only legal discussions, but a greater culture movement led by consumers. Being aligned within your own organization and the companies you partner with allows for a more streamlined process for innovation.
3. It’s not about challenges – it’s about education.
There are ever-growing capabilities to measure, collect and track data.
While there are complexities alongside product innovations (like wearable and connected devices), new media channels and Artificial Intelligence automatization – there also holds promise.
Trend Micro, a multinational cyber security company and client of JUST Media, also partook in Data Privacy Day to stress the importance of education. Lynette Ownes, founder and global director of Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families program, shared her wish list for privacy in 2020.
Chief among her wishes was a desire for greater media literacy and additional resources to address the growing demand. She believes culture is moving in the right direction, but emphasized “teaching our kids about the importance of online safety in the digital age.” Ownes continues, “If we do our jobs right, it’s a message that will hopefully resonate down through future generations.”
Here at JUST Media we support consumer data privacy rights and work with brands to respectfully and transparently use data to make a positive impact on the work.
