How can marketers keep up with Data Privacy Rules?

As kids, we were always told that we should ask for permission before using someone else’s things. “Ask your friend politely, before you take her toys.” “Ask permission”. As simple and fundamental this civics lesson, it seems to have vanished when it comes to personal information, especially in the digital world. Though companies started this process of collecting and keeping data of consumers as a way to improve their browsing experience and understand consumers’ content preferences, very soon it grew into using this information to target the consumer with ads that publishers displayed. That’s something most consumers did not foresee when they gave their information. When the situation comes to personal data being compromised or sold to 3rd parties, it leads to erosion of trust in a brand.

With regulations such as GDPR (European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA ( California Customer Privacy Act) regulators and tech companies are taking actions to reassure consumers that there are limits placed on the use of consumer data. Tech companies Google and Apple are eliminating the software marketers use to track user online activity. This shift has created profound implications for digital marketers, who may no longer be able to rely on cookies to boost the efficacy of customer outreach. So how can marketers adapt? Let’s look at some ideas.