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More than 67% of internet users in the US remain blissfully unaware of online privacy and data protection regulations.
At the same time, the global average cost of data breaches and cyber-attacks has increased by 15% since 2020 to $4.45 million. In fact, compromised credentials and personal information are responsible for nearly 20% of nearly 1.4 billion security incidents during this period.
As a result, there’s a growing need for a solution to protect sensitive data from potential theft or misuse.
Global Privacy Control (GPC) is an emerging resolution to give users more control over their data when navigating the internet and using digital solutions.
In this article, you’ll learn about the core concept of GPC and its importance in digital protection.
What is Global Privacy Control (GPC)?
Global Privacy Control, or GPC, is a cybersecurity and data privacy initiative to give businesses and individuals greater control over their data, including its storage, distribution, and usage.
It offers a simple, standardized way to assert and protect your privacy rights while surfing the internet and navigating different websites and applications.
Adopting and implementing the protocol sends a “Do Not Collect or Share My Data” signal to digital platforms, prompting them to refrain from selling your data to third parties for advertising and other commercial purposes.
Common data websites collect generally include:
- Personal information (Name, contact, address, etc.);
- Browsing history;
- Live location;
- Device information (Model, operating system, etc.);
- IP address;
- Cookies;
- Payment information (Card details, digital wallet credentials, etc.);
- Account credentials (Social media apps, third-party services, etc.);
- Usage data (Time, features used, launch frequency, and more).
By activating the GPC signal, you can exercise your privacy rights and stop sites and apps from collecting all the information listed (and more).
The significance of data privacy and how can GPC help?
Data privacy is more critical than ever due to the unprecedented exchange and collection of data on the internet. Digital entities actively collect your valuable data, including personal information, browsing habits, location, financial details, etc.
By creating vast repositories of your data, websites, and apps gain insights into your online behavior, and use them to tailor:
- Ads;
- UI/UX design;
- Site content;
- Products;
- Services.
However, by doing so, they increase your risk of security breaches and privacy infringements. Hackers and cybercriminals actively target sensible information like your IP address to orchestrate various attacks, including:
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks;
- Spoofing;
- Ransomware and spyware;
- Man-in-the-Middle attacks;
- Brute force attacks, etc.
Fortunately, you can prevent an IP address hack and consequential attacks using a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN encrypts your IP address and online traffic, making it nearly impossible for malicious criminals to access your data.
However, you can take data protection to a whole new level by combining Global Privacy Control with VPN and other essential cybersecurity tools, such as:
- Anti-malware software;
- SSL certificates;
- Multi-factor authentication;
- Intrusion detection systems, etc.
Preserving data privacy is crucial for protecting valuable data and building trust between users and digital platforms. As it stands, GPS is one of the few initiatives that can proactively prevent breaches by stopping the flow of user data.
Benefits of adopting Global Privacy Control
Below are the key benefits of adopting GPC on websites or apps:
1. Data security & privacy enhancement
GPC enables you to fortify your valuable data against nonconsensual or unauthorized sharing. Hence, you can use your personal information solely for core purposes, such as logging into your account or online transactions.
With GPC protocols, no website or app will record your browsing activity, usage, or online behavior, significantly reducing the risk of attacks, identity theft, and unauthorized access.
2. Transparent data collection and usage
If your business relies on collecting user data, you can use GPC to enable transparent collection and usage. You can share how your site or app collects, processes, and shares user data. This transparency allows visitors, customers, or users to make more informed decisions about engaging with your site or app.
3. Building trust & credibility
If you run an online business, one of the best ways to build trust with users is by respecting their online privacy preferences. This powerful branding and marketing strategy allows you to implement GPC and honor “Do Not Share My Data” requests.
Demonstrating that you care about your user’s privacy needs can improve credibility and foster a long-term relationship with them.
4. Compliance with privacy regulations
In the post-pandemic age, there’s an increased focus on data privacy regulations worldwide, including (but not limited to):
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – EU and UK;
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA);
- California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA);
- Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) – Canada;
- Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), etc.
These bodies have strict privacy laws and policies you must adhere to. Failure to comply could lead to heavy fines and legal liabilities. Moreover, when users learn you’re non-compliant, they’ll hesitate to visit your site or use your app.
5. Empowering user control
Global Privacy Control makes users 100% responsible and accountable for the data they share on digital platforms. You have full control over your sharing preferences and can choose to avoid sharing data with third-party companies directly or through the site or app.
This user-centric approach promotes a sense of ownership and helps businesses mitigate security risks.
Conclusion
As the world rapidly shifts to a digital-first economy, you must take the necessary steps to safeguard data privacy.
With our commitment to Global Privacy Control (GPC), you can maximize data control and privacy protection. So, feel free to delve into our wealth of resources and empower yourself with the knowledge to fortify your online defenses.
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