ESOMAR and Kadence International recently conducted a global research on the topic of data protection practices, and the results are disappointing. 68% of all participants believe they own the data they collect!

People have been talking about the GDPR a lot in the past year. Thus, you would expect that managers from marketing, IT, advertising, business development, and market research sectors of the world were more aware of the best practices and Laws about data protection.

Besides thinking they own the information, most participants agreed that they are sharing the data lightly within the company, as well as with external parties. This is troubling, as the stakes are high. Fines are rather significant but getting one should not be the reason you decided to follow the rules.

The ethics and your customers’ trust should be your top priority.

Data Privacy Issues are Shaping a New World

In the wake of so many data-related scandals, people are becoming more aware of how their data is being (mis)used. Furthermore, countries and states outside of EU started creating and implementing Laws similar to the GDPR.

Just a month ago, California added a bill to their Law, called the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018. It resembles GDPR in terms of transparency, and opt-out procedures, among other things.

We all need to put ourselves in the shoes of consumers, because, at the end of the day, that is what we all are. We share our data constantly, through apps, searches, social media networks, and we need to stop and ask ourselves how that data is being used. Chances are, you would not feel comfortable knowing that the companies you trust are not handling your personal information properly.

GDPR has been one of the hottest topics around the world for good reason as of late. The Law made us, as consumers, more aware of how companies handle personal information. Additionally, it gave us more rights than we had had before. Furthermore, it made the companies rethink their current data policies and practices.

The State of Market Research in The World of GDPR

The market research industry has been wildly shaken by the GDPR as its core consists of data collection and processing. Some points from the regulation are still not clear for the market researchers. Consequently, they present an obstacle to our work.

Any data-related moves we make get reviewed by our internal team, to make sure we are staying compliant with the Law. However, many points remain questionable. This is why the representatives of the BHBIA and MRS have been liaising with the ICO to make some of the guidelines completely clear for everyone in the market research industry.

Conclusion

While we are waiting for the answers, we should all invest more in the education of our teams. Additionally, we must work together with our partners and respondents to spread awareness about the importance of information security.

Never miss our blog posts by subscribing to our newsletter.