FEATURE : DATA MANAGEMENT
must be developed and highlighted so that everyone can regain control of their private lives .
• The activities of the IT giants must be better regulated .
• Laws must be enforced and their application better supervised .
Andy Teichholz , Global Industry Strategist , Compliance & Legal , OpenText , says that while government authorities and businesses have been challenged during the pandemic with balancing the twin priorities of protecting public health and protecting personal data , consumers have become more aware of the growing risks around their personal data , including where it may end up and who has access to it . With ongoing news coverage of high-profile data breaches and publicity around new government legislation on the horizon , consumers are more aware than ever before of their data privacy rights and organisational obligations to safeguard personal data . OpenText ’ s recent research found that almost three-quarters ( 72 %) of consumers say they have new concerns about how organisations use their data , since the start of the pandemic .
“ Customer trust is crucial for business success but gaining and maintaining that trust is not always easy . Almost half ( 46 %) say they would no longer use or buy from a company they were previously loyal to if it failed to protect or leaked their personal data . In today ’ s digital age , consumer priorities are rapidly shifting to take stock of how their personal data is being processed and used . To this end , customers are more empowered than ever to exercise their rights and reclaim control of their information by submitting Subject Rights Requests ( SRRs ), with our research showing that more than a third ( 34 %) of consumers would completely abandon a brand if the company failed to respond to an SRR .
“ With the help of available technologies including AI and ML tools , organisations cannot only locate all personal and sensitive information , they can appropriately classify , manage and protect it throughout its life cycle and apply policy-based retention tools to support data minimisation . They can also automate the SRR fulfilment process to ensure deadlines are met and that processes are repeatable and defensible . It ’ s also essential to bake cyber-
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