In a time when privacy is on the tip of everyone’s tongue and new conversations are being had every day, we’re seeing an incredible movement in helping individuals take control of their data. From new innovations to government bills and a general urgency for change, it feels like there is a groundswell beginning in how consumers and businesses are treating personal data.
It’s thrilling to me because we so desperately need this innovation and commitment to continue. For too long, we’ve been giving away control of our personal information in the name of access and a resignation that sharing is simply the way it is done.
So now that we’re starting to see a real awakening around privacy, it is important that we educate ourselves on what real privacy looks like and set the bar for our expectations of the companies we’re entrusting to lead the way. The companies providing us privacy and security tools need to also be protecting us with the ways that they run their business and access our data.
When experimenting with new resources or adapting new tools, it can be easy to get caught up in the next “great” thing. The aspiration of the brand and tool itself may seem exactly like what you need to protect yourself or your identity or simply feel in control. And hopefully it is.
Instead of hoping though, there are a few ways to be sure.
Privacy policy check
Companies interested in protecting and empowering your privacy will make sure it is clear how they are doing it—not only with the products they create but also with the policies they put in place.
Take a look at the company’s site. Can you find the privacy policy and, when you dig into it, are you able to understand what it says? A privacy policy is a legal document that outlines how your data is being used, one that is easy to find and written in simple terms often is a first sign that the tool’s creators take a holistic perspective to prioritizing privacy.
Data collection
A company’s source code can give you an eye-full into the privacy practices of the company whose tool you’ve chosen, helping you understand what data a company is tracking (or not tracking) as you interact with its site.
Download a browser extension like Wappalyzer to understand what data-tracking technologies are being used on the backend. Or for the more technically inclined, right click and view the site’s page source to see where data is being run. If the company is running data through Google to support marketing needs, its commitment to privacy may not be as comprehensive as it should be.
No referrer
Another test is to determine if the tool’s site has a Referrer-Policy. This code tells the web browser how to handle referrer information that is sent to websites when you click links leading to other pages or sites. You can simply download a plugin to detect a site’s referrer policy or see if a website handles the “no referrer” rule by reviewing the header or meta information in the site’s source page.
Team checks
While you’re at it, take a look at the composition of the company’s team. A consumer company committed to privacy demands a commitment to security. Individuals who understand the ins and outs of keeping your data safe need to be deeply embedded in the organization and at the center of product development. This structure will help to ensure the tool being offered is protecting your data at the highest levels and not susceptible to breaches. Research the makeup of the company team on their site or LinkedIn to see if they have resources dedicated to security and how robust they are.
Last raise
There is an influx of tools on the market as so many companies jump into the privacy game. One way to filter out the duds and get a sense of who is building for the long-term is to research a company’s Crunchbase profile. Look up the company and find out if it has raised funding recently and how long it has been since their last source of funds. You can use this information to gauge the company’s commitment to growth and continued innovation and whether its tools are what you want to use or invest in.
These steps, taken together or separately, can begin to help us gain a better understanding of what privacy best practices mean to the organizations and tools we’re trusting to protect our data. They give us a basic launching pad to hold privacy companies up to higher standards and empower us all to make smarter decisions about the tools we expect to bring us control and comfort.
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