BBB National Programs Insights

The term “warranty” is common and can be applied to many different things – the purchase of a house, a new piece of technology, or a vehicle. Though a familiar term, what a warranty is and does is not always known beyond the general “it protects my purchase.” A warranty is a contract between the “purchaser” of a product, often called the “consumer,” and the “seller” of that product, usually a business.

In today’s data-driven economy, good privacy practices are inextricable from good business. Everyone is taking a closer look at how personal information is collected and used these days. Consumers and employees are more informed about how to protect the privacy of their data. Regulators are raising the temperature, armed with updated rules. And businesses are requiring much more than general assurances that their contracting parties will handle data with care. Know the why, the what, and the who of privacy certifications.

Privacy has become a very public matter. The issue of properly managing personal data is not only big in the U.S.; it is increasingly important around the world. Even though global privacy regulations are actively shifting, maintaining a robust privacy program with independent indicators will go a long way toward minimizing the scrutiny of consumers and government agencies.

Where is the line between ethical, persuasive design and dark patterns? Businesses should engage in conversations with IT, compliance, risk, and legal teams to review their privacy policy, and include in the discussion the customer/user experience designers and coders responsible for the company’s user interface, as well as the marketers and advertisers responsible for sign-ups, checkout baskets, pricing, and promotions. Any or all these teams can play a role in creating or avoiding “digital deception.”