Enhancing Company Privacy: Essential Investments for a Robust 2025
As the implementation date of the DPDPA in India approaches, businesses operating in the country are advised to strengthen their data governance and maintain comprehensive data inventories for their operations. This is not limited to India, as privacy concerns remain a global issue for states, governments, and attorneys general.
In light of this, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has compiled a list of 12 privacy investments that companies can make to prepare for a stronger 2025. These recommendations focus on several key areas:
Enhanced Privacy Compliance Processes and Systems
As new and updated laws, such as the amendments to Australia's Privacy Act, introduce stricter transparency requirements, enforcement powers, and protections against serious privacy invasions, companies should improve their compliance frameworks.
Transparency and Accountability in Automated Decision-Making (ADM)
With regulatory reforms increasingly mandating clear disclosures about how automated decisions are made, businesses need to address transparency in AI and ADM systems.
Cross-Border Data Transfer Reforms
Companies should update their data transfer mechanisms to comply with evolving regulations governing international data flows.
Adoption of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)
FPF encourages investment in PETs that help preserve individual privacy while enabling data utility.
AI Risk Management and Governance
Organizations are advised to implement AI risk assessments, prioritize high-risk use cases, and follow emerging governance frameworks to manage privacy risks associated with AI deployments.
Building Digital Trust Aligning Technology with Societal Expectations
FPF highlights the importance of fostering digital trust through responsible AI use and privacy protection, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition to these recommendations, companies are urged to tidy up their clean room practices, ensuring technical controls are credible from a de-identification point of view. They are also encouraged to deepen their relationships with various business teams to develop a forward-looking compliance strategy.
Moreover, businesses should take steps to minimize their processing of precise location data or sensitive data, exploring less precise alternatives, limited retention, effective de-identification techniques, or uses of other kinds of data with less risk of creating sensitive inferences. They are also advised to map their international data flows and track any instances where internal processes or third-party relationships could put data within reach of one of the U.S. government's "countries of concern."
FPF invites feedback and ideas on this list, and they are also seeking to help gather information about the operational implications of new or prospective laws to help explain data uses and technology to policymakers.
Lastly, companies should take special care with data that may implicate personal health information and be vigilant in the case that law enforcement comes knocking for information about a user that could reveal their reproductive health status. They should also consider options that can provide for more limited uses of teen data, as protections for users under 18 will continue to be a focus of legislative activity and enforcement.
By investing in these areas, companies can prepare for heightened enforcement and evolving privacy landscapes in 2025 and beyond.
- In the upcoming year, businesses in India should fortify their data governance and maintain thorough data inventories to ensure compliance with the DPDPA.
- As privacy concerns persist globally, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has proposed 12 privacy investments for companies to prepare for a stronger 2025.
- Stricter transparency requirements, enforcement powers, and protections against privacy invasions in updated laws like theAustralian Privacy Act call for improved compliance frameworks.
- Regulatory reforms demand clear disclosures about automated decision-making, necessitating transparency in AI and ADM systems.
- Companies must update their data transfer mechanisms to comply with regulations governing international data flows.
- FPF advocates investment in Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) to preserve individual privacy while enabling data utility.
- Organizations should implement AI risk assessments, prioritize high-risk use cases, and adhere to emerging AI governance frameworks to manage AI-related privacy risks.
- In the Asia-Pacific region, fostering digital trust through responsible AI use and privacy protection is essential in building digital trust.
- Businesses should consider tidying up their clean room practices, ensuring technical controls are credible from a de-identification perspective.
- Minimizing processing of precise location data, sensitive data, or health-related data with less risk of creating sensitive inferences is recommended, exploring less precise alternatives or using other data types with less risk.
- Companies should be vigilant about law enforcement requests for personal data that could reveal reproductive health status, and should consider options providing for more limited uses of teen data due to ongoing legislative focus on this issue.
