We live in a world where, sadly, one’s personal rights are violated far too often, including the right to data privacy.
In practice, however, taking a stand against it takes a tremendous amount of energy. To you, refusing to install apps that ask for one permission too many or setting every one of your devices to reject cookies automatically might seem second nature, but when deadlines are looming, it can be easy to forget. And when your superiors are not on the same wavelength as you, fighting for your rights and values gets a tad bit more challenging.
The question then becomes how to get people to listen and it’s not going to be easy. You’re going to need to focus on your approach rather than simply being factually correct.
Advocating through storytelling
No one likes being told what to do, especially those who are technically our superiors. Even when you yourself are placed in the role of a superior as a privacy advocate, seeking compliance through “musts” and “have-tos” may not be the optimal path to take.
The key, therefore, lies in taking others on a journey of discovery that satisfies their curiosity. Instead, focus on building a culture of privacy by finding a way to make it sound interesting so they’ll naturally want to seek out the answers themselves.
The focus should be on the benefits
Another thing you can do is to focus on the benefits for the entire organization. You can make a case that it’s harder to have someone’s personal information stolen when none is being collected in the first place, not to mention remaining compliant with GDPR and similar modern data protection regulations.
If the issue revolves around customer data, you can highlight the importance of instilling trust in them. After all, they are concerned about their privacy too, and if you remove an element of data collection that would otherwise be in conflict with it, you’re one step closer to them signing up for your services or perhaps even making a sale.
Want to sell a concept, a virtue, or an idea? Focus on the benefits.
Base your arguments on reputable sources
If you want to come across as convincing, you’d better back up your claims by citing legitimate and reputable sources. And no, due to the amount of fake news that gets spread all over the platform, Facebook and other social media won’t cut it.
Instead, try to dig up related cause-supporting stories from respectable news outlets like the BBC and emphasize how they make for an interesting read. Find other relevant statistics from websites such as Statista and let them support your claims. In the end, it’s about advocating for something that’s real and worth it, for the benefit of everyone involved.
Through informing and educating, they’re likely going to ask for some concrete steps on how to safeguard their personal data and keep it off the internet. The key takeaway is to be on your guard and give it away on a strict need-to-know basis.
Personal data removal services are another option to consider, but these should act solely as a safety net if something slips through the cracks rather than having it be the sole component of one’s personal data protection strategy. After all, they cannot wipe it from anyone’s hard drive or access an online account to modify its contents. What they can do, however, is fill out a removal form on your behalf that gets it delisted from various data brokers, thus protecting your right to privacy.
Conclusion
Advocating for data privacy is as much about approach as it is about substance. By getting everyone on your team to understand not only the importance but also the benefits of safeguarding it is what’s ultimately going to move the needle.