Innovation, data and waves
On Tuesday, I presented our technology to the judging team for the Irish Times Innovation Awards. There are some amazing companies in this competition and this is testament to the entrepreneurial spirit inherent in Ireland. The judging panel itself was hugely impressive, chaired by Chris Horn who was co-founder, CEO, and chairman of technology middleware business IONA Technologies. The panel also included Lana Briggs, KPMG; Iseult Ward, FoodCloud; Gearoid Mooney, Enterprise Ireland; Fiona McElroy, Ulster University; Pat Gibbons, UCD Michael Smurfit School of Business; Barry Lunn, former winner with Arralis; and Jackie Glynn, Three.
As we have been presenting to and working with senior executives in large private banks who have a vested interest in consent management and the challenges they face in banking, it was an interesting process to present to a broad group of business experts outside the bubble that is fintech and the microbubble of those addressing consent, managing consumer data and analysing business models.
I also had a conversation with my wife yesterday which made me rethink how I present Priviti and why I am dedicated to making a difference in how the world shares data. For me, it’s personal as I have a chance to be a part of how my children will manage their data. Let me suggest why you should take it personally too.
The devices we use capture our most private moments, and many of us are conditioned to believe that entities such as Google have some boundaries, are regulated and held to account by… em, someone. Google, which included a ”Don’t Be Evil” clause into its own code of conduct soon after it was founded, used the motto as a showcase of their company’s independence. Alphabet, which took over as Google’s new holding company in 2015, dropped the mantra from its code of conduct. So how are they doing? Let’s take a practical example from a story in The Irish Times on Tuesday:
“Google said on Monday that it would tighten its data sharing policies after discovering that the private profile data of at least 500,000 users may have been exposed to hundreds of external developers. The issue was discovered and patched in March as part of a review of how Google shares data with other applications, Google said in a blog post.”
They went on to say: “No developer exploited the vulnerability or misused data, the review found.” How do they know for sure and why should we believe Google? By way of context, the Cambridge Analytica story broke on 17 March 2018. So, Google made a decision to wait 6 months to tell the world. Why?
“Google feared disclosure would invite comparison to Facebook’s leak of user information to data firm Cambridge Analytica, the Journal reported, adding that chief executive Sundar Pichai had been briefed on the issue. Google declined to comment beyond its blog post.”
In addition, when Google launched Gmail in 2004, it scanned your emails for advertising purposes which you could avoid by using a paid version of the service. They did abandon this, and on the anniversary of the Brexit Referendum, 23 June 2017, Google announced that it would no longer scan emails to tailor adverts. You can find out more in this article: Here is all the data Facebook and Google have on you.
So who can we trust? Banks? In the absence of a trusted central party to manage our data, decentralised systems will gather momentum.
As TechCrunch announced: “Tim Berners-Lee is on a mission to decentralize the web. With support from VCs, the father of the World Wide Web wants to restore control over personal data.”
I think this is an admirable cause. We can all take some steps to take some control. Here are some suggestions as to how you can take a small stand with your data and your money:
1. Stop clicking yes to blanket consent policies. Open them and go ahead and untick some boxes.
2. Stop giving business to those who continually breach our trust.
3. Get your kids a safe way to surf online, change your settings or check out Go SuperAwesome, which allows you “to manage your child’s safety on each of the kid-safe sites and apps” on its platform and “grant or deny any new information requests, and edit your profile”.
“So what’s with the surfing photo?” I hear you ask. Well, as I suggested to the judging panel today, most large organisations, like banks, have a Head of Innovation. I know lots of them. They are really good people genuinely trying to bring innovation to customers and to collaborate with startups. The trouble is they are usually tasked (like a surfer) with the job of representing the bank in the choppy waters of innovation and regulation. They have to bring back solutions to the board (standing on the lighthouse) and the tech team who say, “I’m busy with 39 critical issues affecting the organisation, go back to your hipster conferences, have a flat white, avocado toast and circle back in 2019.” (This may not be a direct quote.)
So, if you are waiting for your big organisation to innovate, don’t hold your breath. If you are waiting for a big organisation to buy your solution, don’t hold your breath. Innovation and changing how you do things such as handling data involves time, patience and getting wiped out. As entrepreneurs, we live for the 100ft wave, and one day our time will come.
At Priviti, we love discussing these topics and shaping the future of data sharing and helping organisations innovate faster. Please share your thoughts and connect with us.
Dave Cunningham is CEO of Priviti, a technology company that helps companies systemise and manage granular consent for data sharing securely in real time. He is co-founder of Galway City Innovation District and the Portershed, part time yoga teacher, used to be a international golfer and can just about catch a wave.
