Data privacy issues are a growing concern for people around the world. From voice assistants constantly listening to conversations to smartwatches tracking physical activity, modern technology introduces new privacy risks every day. Data breaches can put employees’ personal information at risk of identity theft and financial loss, as well as damage a business’s reputation. And when it comes to consumers, 76% of Americans say they would stop doing business with a company that didn’t respect their digital privacy.
A lack of understanding of data privacy laws is another big issue. Roughly six-in-ten Americans admit they don’t understand a lot or any of the laws and regulations in place to protect data privacy. This can make it difficult for businesses to create clear, ethical privacy policies and maintain compliance with regional laws like GDPR, CCPA, or UK GDPR.
Many data privacy issues stem from a mismatch between what is considered personal information and how this is used by businesses to inform access control and processing decisions. For example, the distinction between ‘personal’ and ‘non-personal’ information is being blurred by increasingly powerful analytics capabilities that can link and match disparate pieces of data to individuals, even when those data points were originally deemed de-identified or non-identifying.
A thorough legal review of current privacy laws and regulations is the first step to ensuring your business has a robust data protection program. This includes identifying which laws apply to your business, creating internal systems that comply with those laws and managing third-party risk.