ACLU of Northern California Releases New Publication - Privacy and Free Speech: It's Good for Business

Privacy and Free Speech: It's Good for Business, released today by the ACLU of Northern California, is a first-of-its-kind publication offering hands-on tips for how businesses can build their reputations–while saving time and money–by properly protecting customers' privacy and free speech. The publication is based on dozens of case studies analyzing what prominent companies like Google, Yahoo!, Qwest, ChoicePoint, Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T have done right–and wrong– in safeguarding users. (Publication can be downloaded at www.aclunc.org/tech.)

"Companies that overlook the need to build robust privacy and free speech safeguards into new products often pay the price with negative publicity, costly lawsuits, and government investigations. These case studies and tips can help companies avoid having millions read about their privacy and free speech mistakes later," said Nicole Ozer, ACLU of Northern California Technology and Civil Liberties Policy Director.

Privacy and Free Speech: It's Good for Business helps companies avoid these disasters and gain a competitive edge by providing guidance on how to make privacy and free speech protections part of the design process rather than an afterthought.

The publication examines what companies can learn from Facebook's flops on privacy policies and highlights Google's success in maintaining customer trust by reducing data retention periods and fighting third party demands for information, among other case studies.

Tips include:

Minimize the links between personal information and transactional data. One study showed that 68% of customers are "not at all comfortable" with companies that create profiles that link browsing and shopping habits to identity. Comply with demands for user information only when required by law. AT&T and Verizon are entangled in massive lawsuits alleging that they illegally disclosed customers' calling records to the National Security Agency. But Verizon also gained kudos when it fought a broad subpoena from the RIAA demanding information about users of peer-to-peer software. Boost your reputation by fighting for your users'privacy.

Promote communications regardless of method, topic, or viewpoint. Comcast was taken to task by the FCC, hammered in the press, and hit with a class-action lawsuit for secretly interfering with peer-to-peer technologies such as BitTorrent. Actively promote communication and you will open your doors to as many potential users as possible.

"Implementing these tips can create the kind of customer loyalty that is the lifeblood of success,"said Omar Mencin, Managing Director of the San Jose Incubator Program. "I consider this primer a must-read for all the companies in our portfolio."

Privacy and Free Speech: It's Good for Business is designed to help entrepreneurial and technical staff, privacy officers, and venture and incubator staff avoid costly mistakes, build on successes, and have a solid starting point to protect customers' rights while bolstering the bottom line. Now that's good for the public and good for business.