What Communications Professionals Need to Know About Data Privacy

Stephen Payne, VP, Public Affairs & Privacy, Feld Ent.

What exactly is privacy? Is it Facebook’s record fine from the Federal Trade Commission? Or is it Apple’s claims that the iPhone is the best mobile device in terms of user privacy? For consumers, privacy may mean having control of personal data, information about their families, income, medical conditions, etc. In short, privacy means a lot of things.

It was going to be an easy assignment, or so I thought, when my company asked me, a veteran communicator, to dig into privacy to help with compliance. It’s privacy. Everyone wants it and knows what it means, right?
Leave Me alone
A basic definition of privacy is the right to be left alone. It’s also the right to decide what and when a company can share details about your life or family.

Only one problem with that definition – the use of the word “right.