When we say we’re ‘Privacy by Design’, what does that mean?
If you’re a 90’s kid, you might remember the Gameboy Color, released just in time for Christmas 1998, or even the Tamagotchi, which landed on Japanese shores in 1996 (and subsequently took over the world). Well, the concept of Privacy by Design is actually older than both of these icons. Which goes to show just how forward thinking it was.
If you’re wondering where the idea came from, it was thought up in 1995 by a woman named Ann Cavoukian. Her view was that companies could build privacy into their culture and products from the very beginning, and shouldn’t do it only to comply with regulatory frameworks.
The idea was a little ahead of its time, but would eventually have its moment when, in the following decades, the world was graced with smartphones, apps, social networks and software that could easily violate our privacy.
The International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners saw this trend of privacy violations and, in 2010, passed a resolution recognising Privacy by Design as an essential component to privacy protection.
At Motive, we’re using the guiding principles of Privacy by Design to build eCommerce search that has features shoppers love and that respects their privacy.
The golden rule for building a product that’s Privacy by Design
There are seven foundational principles of Privacy by Design, and one of the most interesting for a tool like Motive Commerce Search is the idea that privacy should be the default setting of all product development. In other words, privacy should be designed into the product from the very beginning, not as an afterthought.
By putting privacy at the heart of our product, each feature that we develop aims to avoid collecting shopper data in order to properly function. Privacy has been designed into our eCommerce search as a core feature, meaning every feature we develop will always have your shoppers’ privacy in mind.
If a product hasn’t been designed with privacy in mind from the very beginning, it’s very easy for it to become less and less important over time. By having privacy in our DNA, we’ve made a long term commitment to shop owners and shoppers.
No data? No problem.
Privacy by Design has made our team incredibly innovative. Finding ways to create features that shoppers love and expect from a shop’s search while also respecting their privacy is something that no other search company is doing like us.
Protecting privacy is more than just rejecting cookies, and any tool that says it respects privacy has to be built with that purpose in their DNA. Companies need to be proactive rather than reactive, and have this goal as part of their roadmap.
Privacy by Design isn’t just compliance, it’s trust
Ever since GDPR, if someone requests that you delete their data, you have to be able to do just that. But here’s where the problem begins. If you’ve been collecting shopper data, deleting it can be a very tedious task, especially if you don’t have the processes set up to do it.
The easy solution? Don’t collect data in the first place by using tools that don’t rely on customer data to function. Motive Commerce Search has been designed in a way that it doesn't collect your shoppers’ data, making it easier than ever to navigate data protection laws.
But there are more advantages to Privacy by Design than just compliance. If a product is designed with privacy in mind, customers recognise these efforts and feel safer, which in turn builds trust and loyalty.
By using a product like Motive Commerce Search, the privacy that we’ve built directly into our search tool can be used and promoted by shop owners to help build trust and loyalty with their own shoppers.
Moving forward with privacy as a feature
Making privacy a key feature of Motive Commerce Search is a really great thing for both the shop and shopper when it comes to their digital sovereignty. It also follows a recent trend that shows 95% of consumers want their online privacy protected.
With a Privacy by Design search solution, everyone wins. Far from losing functionality or usability in the product by opting for data protection, Motive.co guarantees the highest level of technology, with innovative and easy to use features.
If you want eCommerce search with great features that respects shopper privacy, try Motive Commerce Search for free, now.