Social Media Data Collection & What You Need to Know

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the cost in personal information that occurs by participating in online social media.    It’s a “free” relationship that we initiate and companies are now starting to understand the complexity of managing social media data that is collected.  We should all take some time to understand the following 3 lessons learned from companies that have not done a great job in protecting this data in the past.

1. Awareness is the Beginning.

It’s increasingly important for companies to fully understand how social media interactions with mass consumer bases actually work and to question how they can be more responsible stewards of their customers’ data. Much of society views all 3rd parties that receive personal information as malicious.  However, there are brands that depend on direct social media contact with consumers.  Understanding why that information is needed and how it protect it is key.  For some businesses, their direct marketing strategy is based on the data that is gathered and customers do benefit greatly from this approach.

2. Fair Exchange Increases Consumer Willingness.

For the companies that rely on direct marketing strategies, eliminating this type of data collection is not realistic and would be a detriment to their business model.  Loyalty programs are based around this type of data and as time passes,  consumers are more comfortable sharing this information.   One recent survey indicated that 87 percent of online shoppers are willing to trade personal information for better shopping experiences. The shift in customers allowing this data exchange and enjoying the benefits has allowed marketers and consumers to develop more personalized relationships.  All of this is based on in-depth access to consumer data.

However, the recent events at Facebook have thrown a wrench in the works. A subset of bad third-party actors, such as Cambridge Analytica, has created an issue that affects ANY company working with social media.   As a result, Facebook has stopped development work of thousands of third-party apps that access its users and their data. This means that hundreds of well-known brands, including the trusted vendors that help those brands manage their customer interactions, have also had to stop or slow up the improvement, support and maintenance of their social media accounts.

While this is problematic, it’s not unwarranted as we would all agree that more transparency is needed when it comes to how our personal data is used.

3. Adaptability is key.

Many companies that work with social media are well versed in the best way to handle this data and can adapt quickly to new regulations and changes.  Most major companies employ 3rd party platforms to handle their numerous social media interactions.  For these companies, changes in regulation and and protocol are much more easily managed.

However, there are major differences in legitimate 3rd party third-party vendors and the illegitimate data harvesters.  Understanding these differences and how companies manage their data will be the driving force behind how a company proceeds.  Do they choose a customized program that meets their needs specifically or a standardized platform that can be more easily adapted to changes in regulations?

In general, companies will have to provide transparency into their data collection and be prepared to have a platform in place that can quickly and easily adapt to new changes in policy & regulations.

Contact us for more information regarding compliance and what you can do to make sure you are protected.  For more information regarding this topic, you can view the source for this blog post and dive deeper into the subject matter.

What is GDPR?

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) introduces a set of privacy regulations, which expand the individual rights and protections of EU personal data, how it is handled, stored, etc.

Who does GDPR apply to?

GDPR applies to organizations established in the EU that process personal data.  It also applies to organizations outside of the EU that provide goods or services to individuals in the EU, or monitor the data of these in the EU. If your company touches any EU-based individual’s data, then you need to have proper protection and data management in place.  It does not matter if that individual is in the EU at the time of them using your website or services.

Do I need to be GDPR Compliant?

Every company should consult with their legal teams to know if they need to be GDPR compliant.  However, the general rules above can get you started and it’s likely that you are affected in some way.  If your company touches any EU-based individual’s data, then you need to have proper protection and data management in place.  It does not matter if that individual is in the EU at the time of them using your website or services.

When does GDPR take effect?

The new GDPR regulation goes into effect on May 25, 2018.

Does GDPR just apply to my website?

Not necessarily.  If you process EU data via any of your other business systems, they will need to comply as well.  You will need to confer with your legal counsel to be sure, as BCS Engineering cannot provide you with legal advice.  We encourage you to review all services and contracts connected to third-party companies with your legal counsel, in order to confirm GDPR compliance.

Can BCS Engineering help with GDPR?

Yes, absolutely! BCS Engineering is fully capable of helping you with your GDPR Compliance. We can implement and analyze your applications to help you achieve compliance & assist you with any other issues that you might have regarding GDPR. We are offering a 4 hour consult which includes a phone consultation to understand your business processes.  We will then use that information to look into your site and propose changes that we recognize & provide a time estimate to achieve those changes.  If there is time remaining in the 4 hour consult after completing the above tasks, we will use that remaining time to start implementing the changes that we identify.

We will base our work off of current best practices regarding GDPR & do our best at that point in time to help you achieve compliance.  However, we do want our clients to understand that these regulations are a moving target & constantly changing.  We encourage you to review all services and contracts connected to third-party companies with your legal counsel, in order to confirm GDPR compliance.

Contact us for a quote to help you with your specific needs!

Where can I find more information on GDPR?

Please refer to the European Commission’s Website.