What are some ways data analytics professionals can improve data privacy?

1 Understand the data lifecycle

One of the first steps to improve data privacy is to understand the data lifecycle, which consists of six stages: creation, storage, use, sharing, archiving, and deletion. At each stage, data analytics professionals should identify the potential risks and opportunities for data privacy, and apply the appropriate measures to mitigate or enhance them. For example, they should encrypt data at rest and in transit, anonymize or pseudonymize data before analysis or sharing, and delete data when it is no longer needed or requested.

2 Follow the data protection principles

Another way to improve data privacy is to follow the data protection principles, which are a set of guidelines that govern how data should be handled. The exact principles may vary depending on the jurisdiction and the regulation, but some common ones are: lawfulness, fairness, and transparency; purpose limitation; data minimization; accuracy; storage limitation; integrity and confidentiality; and accountability. Data analytics professionals should adhere to these principles throughout the data lifecycle, and document their compliance and decisions.

4 Educate and empower the data stakeholders

A fourth way to improve data privacy is to educate and empower the data stakeholders, which include the data subjects, data owners, data users, and data regulators. Data analytics professionals should communicate clearly and effectively with the data stakeholders about the data privacy policies, practices, and rights. They should also provide the data stakeholders with the means and the opportunities to access, correct, restrict, object, or erase their data, and to consent or withdraw consent to data processing. Moreover, they should listen and respond to the feedback and complaints of the data stakeholders, and collaborate with them to improve data privacy.

5 Stay updated and informed on the data privacy trends and regulations

A fifth way to improve data privacy is to stay updated and informed on the data privacy trends and regulations, which are constantly evolving and changing. Data analytics professionals should monitor and analyze the emerging issues and challenges in data privacy, such as new technologies, new threats, new expectations, and new standards. They should also keep track of and comply with the relevant data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

6 Join and contribute to the data privacy community

A sixth way to improve data privacy is to join and contribute to the data privacy community, which is a network of data analytics professionals, data protection officers, data privacy experts, data advocates, and data enthusiasts who share their knowledge, experience, and best practices in data privacy. Data analytics professionals can benefit from the data privacy community by learning from the peers, mentors, and leaders in the field, by participating in the events, forums, and courses on data privacy, and by sharing their insights, opinions, and solutions on data privacy.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?