Three Tips for Safeguarding Data Privacy

Maintaining data privacy is more difficult today due to the vast amount of data and technological advancements in collecting and storing it. Ethical considerations for data privacy are critical for public relations professionals. Here are three key tips to help uphold data privacy.

Respect Individual Rights

Our organizations need to obtain informed consent from individuals before we collect their data. It’s also important for our organizations to emphasize transparency in our data collection practices. Individuals should have the right to opt-out of communications such as email. Providing straightforward opt-out mechanisms empowers individuals to control their communication preferences and protect their privacy.

Disclose Data Collection

Public relations professionals should be clear with stakeholders about how the data is collected and how it will be used. Explain to stakeholders the types of data being collected, the purposes for which it will be used and if the data will be shared with any third parties. Establish channels for your customers to raise concerns or inquiry about their data.

Minimize Intrusiveness

Only collect the data you need to carry out a public relations campaign. Avoid overly invasive or deceptive tactics to obtain stakeholder data. 

It’s a good idea to stay informed about laws and regulations pertaining to data privacy. These include the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.

Read more about this topic on the PRSA Ethics page. Select Information Leaks on the BEPS Position Papers page for additional reading.