CEO Tim Cook's call to IAPP’s Global Privacy Summit for tougher privacy protections should have all data-driven marketers’ strategising towards their own privacy-first marketing ecosystem

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s address to IAPP’s Global Privacy Summit signals yet another shift towards a more principled and tightly regulated digital marketing ecosystem.

“We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right. One that is central to our vision of a world where technology enriches people's lives,” Cook told the summit, signalling the hardware giant will go harder to block advertisers, app-makers and other big tech platforms from tracking and targeting Apple users.

Last April, Apple allowed its users to opt out of iOS tracking, shaking up the programmatic advertising ecosystem and soon after this Google announced its own move demanding apps in Google Play reveal how securely they store and handle data.

Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) framework clamped down on apps using software development kits (SDKs) that combine developer data with third-party user data for ad targeting (which sent Facebook reeling).

“From scams and social engineering attacks to massive data breaches and targeted disinformation, the dangers we face do more than compromise our data - they compromise our freedom to be human,” Cook told IAPP in April 2022.

Cook also called on American legislators to amend their plans to force Apple’s app store to stop ‘sideloading’ their apps to continue to protect user’s ability to opt out of tracking, something American regulators criticised him for.

Privacy will continue to impact businesses in Australia and around the world

Whether you see Cook’s words as lip service, sanctimony or even hypocrisy, it signals one thing - more head scratching as marketers, CEOs and businesses adapt to the whims of big tech’s business and social goals.

Under Europe’s harsh GDPR regime, Google is in trouble for the way it is processing data inside one of the world’s most widely used tools, Google Analytics, potentially paving the way for changes to the free analytics platform many businesses rely on.

Elon Musk has just bought Twitter in a massive $US44 billion privatisation deal that raises questions around how big platforms will protect user information.

While hardware and technology companies will always have business pressures and regulators breathing down their necks, it’s important other businesses of all sizes understand the platforms or tools they rely on today as part of their marketing mix could easily change tomorrow.

Privacy Week: time to start your own privacy-first strategy?

With changing regulations across the globe - including Australia - around privacy, data security and the ‘harms’ associated with technology, particularly for children, all businesses need to ensure they are navigating towards:

• Privacy-first marketing plans

• Securing first party data in a compliant manner

• Understanding their obligations to prevent misinformation

• Taking serious action to prevent and act on data breaches

As Privacy Week kicks off in Australia this week, it’s a good time to remember that citizens are increasingly waking up to their privacy rights.

While the drafting of Australia’s own Online Privacy Bill is yet to be finalised - and the review of our local Privacy Act continues - businesses, especially data-led marketers need to be prepared for change ahead in 2022.

There is also a review of whether changes should be made to Australia’s Consumer Law to further protect Australians from large tech platforms.

“Digital platforms have business models that seek to exploit all the data they have on you. We need laws to prevent the misuse of this data, either by preventing so called ‘dark patterns’ that get you to act against your best interests, or requiring steps to prevent scams, or allowing appropriate dispute resolution,” former ACCC chief Rod Sims told the media in March 2022.

And citizens are increasingly waking up to their right to privacy – even John Oliver’s late night comedy show took to educating their audience on the importance of better understanding data brokers and the risk exposure. While his take was humorous, the underlying message was clear: compliance is not only important, it is imminent.

So what is your business doing to implement a privacy-first approach to protect users, customers and staff as well as adapt to the multitude of regulatory changes on the horizon both in Australia and overseas?

What does regulation pressure and tech business changes mean for marketers?

Most marketers understand the complex ecosystem of websites, apps, social media companies, data brokers, and ad tech firms tracking users online and offline, harvesting their personal data.

Many CEOs are only beginning to understand how this data is pieced together, shared, aggregated, and used in real-time auctions, fueling the advertising and marketing industry, as well as many companies' overall revenues.

But are the right conversations being had around the boardroom table?

Is there enough investment in privacy, cybersecurity and data protection at your business?

Australia’s competition regulator, the ACCC, has found Apple, through Apple iOS, has significant market power in the supply of mobile OS, holding around 50% of the market in Australia.

Last year, it was reported only 10% of Australian users wanted to be tracked, disrupting low-cost Facebook advertising for thousands of businesses across the world.

This year so far is signalling even greater changes to how platforms, big tech and regulators will squeeze even more change out of an ecosystem already exhausted by the pace of change.

With local and global changes to regulate digital privacy, all marketers - whether they are bricks and mortar, services or product businesses - must grapple with how privacy-first ecosystems and regulation will change their business in the year, three years and five years ahead.

Privacy Awareness Week is the perfect time to book in your refresher of the basics around Privacy