Before we continue, let’s take a moment to consider the importance of privacy laws like the CCPA. The fourth amendment to the American constitution protects our privacy, but only from actions by government and not private corporations.
In this era of big data, businesses can deliver unprecedented convenience and value to consumers. As executives, engineers, marketing professionals and customer care agents, we all have access to unprecedented amounts of personal information.
We are the first generation of corporate citizens who, regardless of the industry we serve, need to consider the privacy implications of our work, and now, according to the CCPA, we need to implement strong privacy controls as part of our work.
Privacy is a real freedom that influences how we feel and how we act. We know this is true because most people behave differently when they’re being watched. Just think of all the people who sing in the shower and not on the sidewalk. Maybe you’re one of them?
Compliance work — particularly mandatory training — can feel like a burden. I hope the idea of privacy as an important freedom will give a sense of purpose to work we undertake in implementing corporate privacy programs.
Compliance regimes like the CCPA leave enough room for responsible data use that both delivers great business value and enables transformative consumer experiences. There’s an art to finding that middle ground, and I hope the remainder of this course will provide a pathway to it.