DMAi 2014 Convention: Day three - Privacy in focus

On the third and final day of the DMAi Convention on 24 January, Akash Sahai, MD, Aimia India, presented on current trends in privacy around the world.

Sahai spoke about how Google’s new privacy regulations in March 2013 shocked the world, and termed as ‘unbelievable’ Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt's quote on privacy: “Google's policy is to get right up to the creepy line but not cross it." He cited how Google Chrome tracks users constantly whether they are online from PC, laptop or mobile, and targets websites users surf to monetise them.

Sahai said, “There are 12.5 billion devices connected to the internet and that number is growing. By 2020, there will be 50 billion devices connected to the internet.”

However, he noted that there are few companies who are getting it right, too. According to him, while Google is on the wrong side of the privacy issue, British channel Channel 4 convinces customers to share details to help them create better shows - and their information is secure. The channel also promises to delete the data if the customer no longer wishes to be associated.

Sahai touched upon privacy in India, which he named the biggest challenge in the absence of privacy legislation. He explained, “It’s not that Indians are not data rich and privacy concerned as the rest of the world. There isn’t any defence in India for things like Google’s new privacy policy.”