PARTNER WITH YOUR USERS
Put users in control and stand up for their rights.
Even if you plan to offer your product “for free” and generate revenue from advertising or other means, it is in your best interest to treat your users as partners: recognizing and respecting their expectations, giving them the tools to make their own decisions about their personal information, and standing up for them when they are unable to defend themselves. By doing so, you may not only avoid the consequences when users are unpleasantly surprised about how their data are used, you may find that users who trust you are more willing to pay for or engage with your service.
IDENTIFY AND RESPECT EXISTING USER EXPECTATIONS.
Many privacy catastrophes occur because companies focus on their internal perspective of the value of collecting or sharing data without adequately considering the potential wider effects on users or the general public. By looking at your product from various points of view, including bringing in focus groups or outside advisors to evaluate the consequences of your new product or feature, you can better anticipate and design for users’ actual expectations.
Case Study
USE OPT-IN FOR ANY CHANGES THAT MIGHT CONFLICT WITH USER EXPECTATIONS.
Although it is important to notify users about any change that impacts their privacy, it is especially important to inform users and obtain their consent when you make a change that directly conflicts with their current expectations. Users who are not adequately informed and given an opportunity to opt in to a new feature may view the change as a betrayal of their trust.
87% of global consumers think there should be laws to prohibit companies buying and selling data without opt-in consent. (2014)