Being in the business of data, we are constantly confronted with the idea of responsible use of consumer data. We are tasked both with collected lots of data (sometimes unbeknownst to the respondent) to verify someone’s identity and assure the validity of our interviews, but also to be sure to carefully lock away any personal information about our respondents.
We have seen many increasingly sophisticated methods of authenticating survey respondents; most recently there has been a lot of buzz around Survey Monkey’s True Sample. But on the data security and privacy side, we can’t rely on fancy new technology to do the work for us. When privacy is the concern, an organization’s integrity and transparency are the measures of success. So how does a respondent know who to trust?
I had the pleasure of listening to Jane Frost, CEO of MRS, speak back in April at the ASC’s conference on collaboration in survey technology about the new Fair Data initiative she had been working on. She was so passionate about the importance of protecting our users’ data, because if they don’t trust us they will stop sharing with us, and the day respondents stop answering us our industry is in some big trouble.
I think it is great there is an industry-specific data privacy mark for Market Research, but what comes next in the privacy arena? How can we help put in place our own checks-and-balances as an industry to keep each other honest, and get that across to our respondents? Is a pledge and a stamp on our website enough? I think the seal of approval from an industry-specific group like MRS helps add credibility. But is that enough for respondents to feel safe?
