- Apple and Facebook have thrown an open challenge around the privacy policy of the user data.
- The companies have to decide whether they want to collect the data and exploit or respect the user.
- Transparent and understandable privacy policies will be the main goal of companies in the future.
The battle began when Apple declared that the users would have to soon consent to personal data tracking policy. Facebook, which has been earning money with such tracking, published full-page advertisements to criticize Apple’s policy. Apple CEO Tim Cook fired back in a rebuttal speech recently, rebuking against the companies that collect data as far as possible and warning of the dangerous consequences.
The conversations about the data privacy policies have gained momentum. And the impact of such policies will be felt across the tech and business worlds. Whatsapp users expressed their outrage when they had to accept new privacy terms or stop using the app. Moreover, privacy bills are gaining traction within state legislatures.
All the tech companies access the user data. Hence, the companies must decide which side they are on. The side where the company collects yet respects the user data. Or the side where the user data is collected and exploited. When a company decides to prioritize a user’s privacy, it does not mean that it has to change its policies. Instead, the companies should communicate those policies to consumers in an intelligible way and hold internal teams accountable.
Privacy policies should be able to pass the user test, and not the lawyer test:
The companies that collect and share the user data should have a privacy policy that a user can understand. The privacy policies these days are so long and written in a complex language that the user hardly understands the policy. An understandable privacy policy should communicate to the user about the company’s belief of what it owns and what belongs to the user. The privacy policy should be clear, easy to understand, and in a form where the user can understand it without using a dictionary.
Certain apps clearly outline exactly which kind of data it collects from users and for what reason. The transparency between the apps and the users creates trustworthy communication. Around last year 91% of companies started using matured privacy policy standards which included transparency and it saw increased user trust and loyalty.
When a privacy policy is user-friendly the company’s leaders can quickly decide whether the privacy policy can be altered. If the giant companies are not comfortable sharing with the consumers what they do with the data? It’s about time to rethink such practices.
The “road signs” around data privacy can help with user navigation:
Along with a user-friendly privacy policy the companies should offer consumers are the privacy navigation. This will help them go about confusing data collection procedures. This way the user can make informed decisions about what and which kind of data they are willing to share.
There is a misconception that social media platform Facebook is facing scrutiny for using the user’s data to target advertisements. The reason behind this is that the company hasn’t given the users any explanation about this. The social media giant has been collecting massive data without offering any explanation around it.
When the company provides data privacy road signs, the user can decide what data they are comfortable sharing. For instance, a company can tell its users what it does or doesn’t do with the data it has collected so far.
When the users encounter a complex topic like data privacy, we are pretty clear with what they don’t want to share. A recently launched chat application called signal does things the same way. I have outlined the proper policies to the users saying that they cannot access their messages and “does not sell, rent, or monetize your personal data or content in any way — ever.”
Good privacy signage also communicates to the users what kind of partners and third parties the company deals with and shares the data along with the reason behind it. Very clear privacy policy guidelines contribute to building user trust and become a very strong reason for the users to choose one product over another.
Data privacy should be a part of the company’s culture:
The companies should communicate every detail around the data privacy practices is early on to the users but upholding those practices should be an inside job. Leaders should ensure that their company culture encourages employees to act as respectful data custodians. One of such steps could be rewarding the employees or teams who do their jobs well with a minimum amount of consumer data. Companies can also include tokenization which swaps the sensitive data with digital “tokens”.
Apple and Facebook have thrown down the data privacy gauntlet and about time the companies should pick aside. Looking at the current scenario the users will prefer companies that respect and protect their data.
