Beyond GDPR: Data privacy around the world

A sneak-peek into data privacy around the world

As of April 2022, the global digital population was 5 billion, accounting for 63% of the worldwide population. The internet has undoubtedly become an integral part of people’s daily lives for, not just communication but for entertainment, source of information, and more. With consumers making their personal information available on the internet for multiple reasons, protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from data threats and privacy breaches becomes crucial.

In 2021 alone, some of the biggest names like Facebook, LinkedIn, and ClubHouse were victims of data privacy breaches –

•     Personal data of 553 million Facebook users from 106 countries was posted for free on a hacking forum
•     User profiles of 500 million LinkedIn users were leaked on the dark web
• User records of 1.3 million ClubHouse accounts were leaked on a popular hacking forum

To prevent such occurrences and safeguard the PII of citizens, international privacy laws have been crafted and implemented globally. From content consumption to finding information and shopping, people surf the internet for myriad reasons. Interests, preferences, gadgets used, search queries – Directly or indirectly, their every move is being tracked. This data is collected by ad-tech platforms and leveraged by brands and advertisers to curate highly targeted advertising campaigns.

Governments worldwide implemented data privacy laws that ad tech platforms must comply with to conduct business-as-usual and avoid any legal consequences. This helps consumers better understand what data is being collected and where it’s being used, all with their consent, increasing awareness and safeguarding PII.

Let’s explore the popular GDPR and some of the other data privacy laws around the world that advertisers and brands must be mindful of in 2022:

•     General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – A regulation in the European Union law, GDPR is an essential component of EU privacy law and of human rights law and was implemented in 2018. This law gives every European resident the right to give consent or deny/restrict access to collect their data. GDPR holds businesses collecting data accountable, and any brand or advertiser failing to comply with the GDPR faces hefty fines and considerable damages to their reputation/brand image.
•     The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) – Similar to GDPR, the CCPA implemented in California also gives its citizen more control over their data and regulates what data businesses collect and how they use them. Under the CCPA, any citizen that falls prey to a privacy breach can legally sue the business for damages.
•     Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) – South Africa’s data protection law POPIA came into effect in 2020, and the regulations are similar to that of GDPR. This act applies to all businesses based out of South Africa, and any business failing to comply can face fines and criminal charges.
•     Digital Charter Implementation Act – Canada’s recently amended data privacy regulations, much like the GDPR, this act aims to protect consumer data and give them control over what can be tracked and how this data will be used after.
•     Lei Geral de Proteçao de Dados (LGPD) – Crafted on the same lines as the GDPR, Brazil’s LGPD is a legal framework that protects the data of all its citizens by defining how businesses can utilize their personal information. It also makes it mandatory for businesses to report data security threats or breaches to the Brazilian national authorities.

Creating a winning ad strategy that is also compliant with data privacy laws around the world

It is more than evident that brands and advertisers must ensure regulatory compliance to avoid being hit by massive fines and damaging their reputation globally. How are advertisers steering through successfully with regulations increasing in number and undergoing updates/changes? By adopting new-age ad strategies.

A technique that is contextually relevant, understands consumers, personalized, cost-effective, and compliant – Contextual advertising is the emerging choice by brands the world over. Without leveraging any third-party data, Contextual AI helps businesses reach their target audiences by analyzing the content and context of pages and delivering non-intrusive, contextually relevant ads.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), without the use of cookies, contextual advertising delivers ads on relevant websites, targeting the desired audiences. This intelligent targeting helps build audience segments beyond the standard IAB taxonomy, enabling advertisers to create personalized segments and reach audiences at a highly granular level. Thoughtfully designed contextual creatives coupled with intelligent targeting boost audience engagement and eliminate impression wastage. Ads rendered at the right places alongside relevant content pique user interest as they speak more personally to the consumer and do not disrupt their browsing experience.

Additionally, contextual ads are also GARM compliant, ensuring the highest levels of brand safety and suitability. With comprehensive analytics, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Sentiment analysis, contextual advertising helps brands maximize opportunities while steering clear of any harmful or negative content and opting for the most brand-safe environments for advertisers.

To know more about how contextual AI is changing the game for leading global brands, take a look here or get in touch with our strategists.