<p>The internet landscape has been changing over the past few years. Long gone are the days of rampant piracy, unchecked commenting and free circulation of NSFW content. Even if some could feel nostalgia for this Wild-West-like era of the World Wide Web, the perks of browsing without most of the dangers that once lurked around every corner of the digital public arena outnumber the selfish benefits of anarchy. It signals <strong>progress</strong>, and that we are slowly learning to tame the beast for a more <strong>rational, kind, and respectful-of-human-rights</strong> usage of the most powerful communication tool ever created.</p><p><br></p><p>Therefore, data privacy was truly one of the last big, complex issues to be tackled–and maybe the first to put <strong>companies’ accountabilit</strong>y under scrutiny. After many years of focusing on unorganized individuals actively making the internet a worse place, the way in which companies collected, stored and managed user information started to be questioned.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>The first big thing happened when Europe’s <strong>General Data Protection Regulation</strong> (GDPR) was passed by the EU parliament in 2018. For a long time it seemed like this day would never come: GDPR replaced a directive that dated back to 1995. A lot has happened since ‘95, and if we want to keep up with the times, the public now expects changes to be introduced more regularly. The fact that the <strong>post-pandemic world</strong> introduced a new level of state data collection and digitalization of every aspect of life means that <strong>challenges will only multiply and become more elusive</strong>.</p><p><br></p><p>The changes introduced by this act are now enabling major tech companies to be audited, <strong>Google</strong> being the major player that has been teasing big global changes for a while (whilst complying with the GDPR in Europe). For marketers and digital professionals all over the world, all these changes seemed scary: we only had the internet for roughly 30 years, and this was the only way we knew. Luckily, these same <strong>professionals</strong> are the ones<strong> leading the process with a message of hope: regulation, transparency and data protection benefits everyone,</strong> and if these changes mean anything, it is that their profession has become more necessary for companies all over the world.</p><p><br></p><h2>Protecting users is an opportunity to remind them we are on their side</h2><p><br></p><p>Of course, if governments decided that every and all kind of private data collection, storage and use was banned forever, the digital marketing world as a whole would just collapse. But that is not what’s happening. As in other aspects of life,<strong> companies using the internet now have to play by the rules of (true) consent:</strong> this means giving the people true choices, clear ways to make their decisions, and of course, not doing whatever they please with user data. It will be a new parameter for consumers to have in mind when deciding whether they trust a company or not. This means that there is a <strong>big opportunity</strong> for brands to take a stance and show their customers how much they care about them and how important they are: by not only complying with, but surpassing the existing regulations with their own protection devices, there is a <strong>simple but effective way to show strong ethics</strong> and transparency, and therefore gain or reinforce that much-needed trust from customers.</p><p><br></p><p>As specialists, <strong>our role is to ensure both businesses and their customers that we will keep our growth plans going strong while maintaining the sacred status of personal data untouched.</strong> This ethical dilemma allows no choice but to stand by users’ rights, and as a professional challenge we have to keep up with the times and take this opportunity to show that a new way is not only possible, but the next inevitable step in this new digital tech-based economic panorama.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Big changes are on the horizon for the Big Guys in tech: Google, Apple and Microsoft are preparing their own global projects for a new data protection model that will be user-centric and highly regulated. At UO Solutions, we will keep an eye out and make sure we pass on any news about this matter, as it has true power to change the digital future ahead.</p>