By building privacy into your products from the beginning and giving your users the information and tools to protect and control their own personal information, you not only help avoid consequences ranging from scathing media coverage to class action lawsuits, you also make users feel truly invested in your product and build invaluable trust and loyalty.

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The key to developing outstanding privacy practices is to proactively identify and address potential privacy risks before they happen.
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MAKE YOUR PRIVACY PRACTICES STAND OUT

Google Slammed for “Wardriving by Design”

Google found itself in a public relations nightmare when it was revealed in 2010 that the project had captured traffic from private wireless networks . Although the company blamed the mistake on a single engineer, an investigation by the Federal...Read more >

DO YOU USE DATA IN WAYS THAT PROTECT YOUR USERS?

Failing to consider how you will use the data you collect can undermine the effectiveness of your product and place your users at risk. Limit your use of data to what is necessary to accomplish your product’s purpose. Consider the impact of your data-use decisions on both your service and on your...

Fitbit Deals with Fireworks after Exposing “Sex Stats”

Fitbit, an online service that allows users to track their exercise habits, found itself faced with a different set of fireworks during the 2011 Fourth of July weekend when some users discovered that their sexual activity was being broadcast to the...Read more >

DO YOU PROPERLY HANDLE ANY SENSITIVE DATA THAT YOU DO COLLECT?

Some types of data can be particularly sensitive and require special care. Information such as medical records, financial records, and data concerning children has specific legal requirements that you need to follow. But any data that users consider sensitive should be treated with care, because...

RESPECT YOUR DATA: LIMIT AND PROTECT THE DATA YOU COLLECT AND RETAIN

Protecting your users’ privacy requires you to be thoughtful about the data you collect and hold. By carefully considering the costs and benefits of collecting data and by properly safeguarding the information that you do collect, you may prevent privacy harms and increase consumer trust in your...

DO YOU EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE YOUR PRIVACY PRACTICES TO YOUR USERS?

California law requires any commercial website or mobile app that collects personal information about California residents to post a conspicuous privacy policy. But a privacy policy filled with legal language won’t help your users understand how your company actually protects their information...

DO YOU GIVE USERS CONTROL OVER THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Users want to be in control of how their information is used or shared. Failing to obtain explicit consent to use or share personal information, or making it difficult for users to remove themselves from lists or terminate use of products, risks alienating existing users and discouraging others...

HOW WILL YOU ENSURE YOUR PRIVACY AND SECURITY PRACTICES ARE EFFECTIVE?

As your product line evolves or expands, you will face new challenges related to privacy and security, either because you collect and use more information or because new vulnerabilities and threat models emerge. Even if you can’t know exactly what these threats might look like, you can put the...

DO YOU HAVE COMPREHENSIVE PRIVACY AND SECURITY PRACTICES?

Before your product or service launches, make sure that you have measures in place to protect the data you collect. Many privacy and security fiascos could have been avoided by following well-established best practices. And no matter your company’s size, a thorough data security plan can help...

DO YOU COLLECT AND STORE DATA SECURELY?

Your data security practices can make or break your reputation as a company users can trust with their data. Data breaches can be disastrous, leading to lawsuits, fines, and reputational harm. Even small startups should take steps to maintain reasonable security procedures to protect the personal...