Top 6 Data Privacy Trends To Look Out For In 2022

Featured article by Owen Rodway

Twenty Twenty-One is nearly ending. And with 2022 just around the corner, you can expect new developments in data privacy that will significantly impact your business.

In this article, you’ll find key trends and major shifts that will shape data privacy in the coming year.

1. Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) 

Did you know that over 90% of businesses currently host their data and IT environment in the cloud? Due to the pandemic, the increase in remote work has led to the adoption of the cloud. Not only it is productive and flexible, but it is also cost-effective. If you’re new to cloud data centres, you can find more information here.

However, such advantages are paired with critical security threats. With that said, businesses are now investing in Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) encryption, which is expected to grow more in popularity in the coming years.

BYOK encryption system encrypts your business data before sending it to the cloud. During this process, key generation and encryption only rest with you. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access and therefore enhances your data security. This technology is often supported by web services, cloud platforms, Infrastructure-as-a-Service providers, and customer relationship management (CRM) software companies.

2. Growing Consumer Awareness On Privacy Rights

Privacy and data issues are now much more of a hot topic than before. Social media campaigners and documentaries are showing people just how much data is being gathered through their smartphones, tagged locations, purchases, and more.

With that said, there’s an expected rise in data subject requests and complaints. Customers are now exercising their right to update, share, delete, and even prevent businesses from collecting and processing their personal information.

Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR) is expected to become the standard for legal actions, concerning users’ rights to ask what personal data of theirs are being stored.

3. Offering On-Going Value Has Become A Necessity

Data breaches that occurred this year have already surpassed last year’s total number. And it’s expected to only increase in the coming year. Consumers are becoming more aware that they’re giving businesses more information and data than ever.

For instance, personalization is growing in popularity in marketing. However, it also means more data collection. At some point, users might develop a mindset of ‘Is it worth it for me?’.

Users are now considering if the value you offer them is worth the risk of a data leak. And in 2022, expect that thisvalue-based internet will continue to evolve. Especially since more users are now becoming more aware and intentional of the amount of personal data they share.

4. The Rise of Privacy-As-A-Service Solutions

Most users don’t know how to approach companies in order to exercise their privacy rights. They have no idea how to file General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) requests or even the address they should send them to. Because of this, numerous tools have emerged to help users in protecting their personal information with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Businesses are now investing in these privacy platforms. They not only handledata privacy requests at scale, but they also encourage growth and success. These privacy-as-a-service solutions are continuously evolving to automatically handle the whole fulfilment process, without human intervention and the risk of human errors.

5. Data Privacy Transparency Is A Top Priority

With large-scale data breaches, consumers are growing more concerned about their privacy. In fact, 50% of consumerswould switch businesses simply because of their data-sharing practices and policies.

Companies that fail to show transparency and protect consumer data can lose their customer’s trust. Especially since customers are now becoming more aware and informed of their rights. Aside from being intentional when it comes to sharing their information, they are also after transparency.

Building trust through transparency may not be an easy task. However, with the way times are changing, transparency seems to be a must for most customers, rather than a key differentiator.

6. Planning For Long-Term Remote Workforce

Due to the pandemic, businesses around the world were forced to change how they operate. Because of health protocols and restrictions, employees are now working from home. With that in mind, businesses need to modernize their infrastructure and think of new ways to protect their privacy and data against threats.

However, as protocols ease, it is believed that numerous businesses will start to reopen. And soon, employees might becalled to report back to their traditional workplaces. Because of these uncertain times, it is expected that the shift towards a more practical work arrangement, may it be permanent remote work or a hybrid work arrangement, will continue to develop.

Regardless of the work setup businesses intend to implement, their program will still need to be updated, to prepare and counter possible data issues-such as data breach and increased transfers of data, in the future.

Conclusion 

Data privacy will become a major topic for every organization and company in the coming years. We hope that the expected trends listed above have given you an idea of how data privacy will look like in 2022, That way, you can use them to your advantage and leverage them for your business growth.

About the Author 

Owen Rodway works as a system administrator in one of Queensland, Australia’s managed IT services providers. With a penchant for writing, he contributes to several tech blogs worldwide. When not maintaining servers, he is found in their home kitchen trying out new recipes for his wife and two sons.