Google's continued efforts in the face of existing data privacy claims

The fast-paced evolution of the digital era can lead companies to position themselves quickly in the market and increase their revenues at an accelerated rate, but are these quick changes entirely beneficial? Or?is this pace forcing the leading companies to implement changes that will impact their operational processes and earnings? Google is the best example of how regulation changes such as GDPR can affect even the most crucial technology company.

This article will break down Google’s history with privacy, how they have addressed this colossal transformation, how the industry has reacted, and if its first-party data strategy has been positively integrated.?

Let’s start by noting their efforts in reshaping?its?privacy data practices over the last decade:

• 1990: Google offered 600 words to explain data collection and use with a straightforward declaration.
• 2023: In more than 4000 words, Google explains its privacy policy in a more detailed and complicated report that has been transformed more than 30 times in the last 20 years.

The online world is becoming more complex daily, and Google’s privacy policy has evolved to reflect these changes, but this must be added the multiple lawsuits countries have sued the company, such as South Korea, France, the USA, Australia, European Commission, and India, to name just a few. Even though the sums have been exorbitant (€2.42?billion),?the leading technology company is not giving up and has decided to learn from its mistakes by addressing these issues with the following privacy-safe measurement strategies:

• Removal of third-party cookies and promotion of a first-party data strategy.
• Site visitors can measure conversions with tools like Google Tag Manager or tracking pixels, code snippets placed on websites that?can gather information.
• The software development kit is available to collect data from mobile app users through online interactions.
• Campaign performance using CRM Databases that allow storing client information in offline touchpoints.
• Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox is an initiative for new technologies to protect people’s privacy on the Internet while providing companies with tools to continue achieving their campaign marketing goals. This Alphabet’s creation aims to reduce tracking between cross-sites and apps while ensuring that online content and services remain accessible to everyone.

Since the?legislation of GDPR in 2016, every online business is now at risk of being fined; therefore,?companies like Microsoft, with currently more than 40 employees working on privacy full-time, have adopted the Privacy by Design Framework since 2012 to operate as a reliable firm and show their customers they can trust them or at least, that by sharing their data, they will receive a valuable exchange.?

“We believe that Microsoft, and all companies operating online, should adopt privacy practices that build trust with the customers that use their products and services. “Privacy – Microsoft privacy. (n.d.)

Even though tracking cookies are great for advertisers, they are not for customers, and if companies are planning to stay in the market, they must follow the customer-centric approach by using privacy by design and protecting customers’ information as they have always had and always will be, the center of all business.?

In addition, there are several practices to keep analyzing customers’ data for insights to connect with the right audience and deliver the most fantastic experience safely and privately.

For example:

You can create quizzes and surveys on your website to learn more about clients’ interests and needs. E.g., what type of yoga mat do you use? How many minutes do you practice yoga?

Launch targeted social media ads and partner with B2B to gather more client information.

Use Customer Match to reach clients after they agree to share their contact information.

The resources available for marketers are extensive. Instead of seeing this shift as an obstacle, they could see it as an opportunity to connect with customers in new (but always safe) ways.

References:

• Warzel, C., & Ngu, A. (2019, July 15).?Opinion | Google’s 4,000-Word Privacy Policy Is a Secret History of the Internet. The New York Times.?https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/07/10/opinion/google-privacy-policy.html
• Updates: Privacy Policy – Privacy & Terms – Google. (n.d.). Privacy & Terms – Google.?https://policies.google.com/privacy/archive?hl=en-US
• ?The Privacy Sandbox: Technology for a More Private Web.?(n.d.).?https://privacysandbox.com/intl/en_us/
• Privacy – Microsoft privacy. (n.d.).?https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-CA/
• Koch, R. (2022, November 17).?Google’s $391 million settlement pushes Big Tech fines over $3 billion in 2022. Proton. https://proton.me/blog/big-tech-three-billion-fines