Tech companies are profiting by marketing your own privacy back to you. Daily, they promote their newest safety and confidentiality attributes through various advertising channels such as billboards, online advertisements, or commercials on popular television shows. Examples include Apple’s iPhone privacy campaign, DuckDuckGo’s unique selling point of privacy, and the focused Google cybersecurity advertisements on platforms like social media.
This revival of privacy-centric advertisements is closely tied to the increased awareness and regulations concerning data protection. While marketing privacy is not a recent phenomenon, the enactment of laws like the General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act has made compliance an appealing selling feature. As consumers have become more focused on privacy, companies have also been forced to prioritize it.
In an interview with BuyTechBlog, Whitney Parker Mitchell, the CEO of Beacon Digital Marketing, explained that when regulations are implemented, companies often recruit compliance experts and place a new emphasis on privacy and security. Depending on the target audience, they decide whether to promote these aspects in their advertising. The importance of security and privacy varies with products, with personal items like cell phones likely taking precedence over more convenience-oriented items like robot vacuums.
However, privacy and security matters are intricate and multifaceted, making them difficult to condense into succinct slogans. Attempts to do so often result in a loss of vital details or a blurring of reality through buzzwords. Aaron Massey of the Future of Privacy Forum compared this issue to the market for used cars (lemons), explaining that marketing claims are easy to make but hard for the average buyer to verify.
Alongside these marketing efforts, there are increased attempts to make privacy awareness more user-friendly. Companies are implementing features such as privacy check-ups, acknowledging that mere privacy policies are insufficient to inform users about data handling. Cobun Zweifel-Keegan of the International Association of Privacy Professionals sees these efforts as a positive move toward more transparent privacy practices.
The overall impact of these changes has been beneficial for privacy and security. Both regulatory enforcement and consumer education are driving the trend, but caution is still necessary. Advertisements making subjective claims, such as being the ‘most secure,’ should be met with skepticism. It is wise to look for substantiated statements that the company can confidently support, along with evidence of dedicated privacy or security personnel to endorse these claims.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about
Why are tech companies increasingly advertising privacy and security features?
Tech companies are advertising privacy and security features more due to a resurgence in privacy-focused awareness and regulations. Laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act have made compliance a selling point. As consumers have become more focused on privacy, companies have also been forced to prioritize it, and marketing privacy has become an appealing feature.
What are some examples of companies using privacy as a marketing strategy?
Apple’s “Privacy. That’s iPhone” campaign, DuckDuckGo using privacy as a unique selling point, and targeted Google cybersecurity ads are examples of companies using privacy as a marketing strategy.
How do regulations affect privacy and security advertising?
Regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation and local laws force companies to prioritize data privacy, making compliance a selling point. When these regulations are put in place, companies often hire compliance experts and emphasize privacy and security in their advertising strategies.
Is advertising privacy and security always clear and honest?
No, privacy and security are complex topics, and oftentimes marketing attempts to simplify them can result in lost nuances or misleading buzzwords. It’s advisable to be skeptical of subjective claims like ‘We’re the most secure’ and look for substantiated statements that the company can confidently support.
How are companies making privacy awareness more consumer-friendly?
Companies are recognizing that privacy policies alone aren’t enough, so they are implementing features like privacy check-ups that direct users to update their settings. These efforts make privacy awareness more consumer-friendly and help users understand what’s happening with their data.
More about
- General Data Protection Regulation
- California Consumer Privacy Act
- Apple’s Privacy Campaign
- DuckDuckGo Privacy Features
- International Association of Privacy Professionals
1 comment
The thing with privacy is, its so important but compaines seem to make it more confusing then it needs to be! Who can even understand all this? I liked the part about the robot vacuum though, LOL.