The US Supreme Court overturned the ruling on Roe v. Wade in late June 2022. With potential new legal consequences involved in seeking an abortion, many are having a lightbulb moment about their data privacy. Featured in our recent report, Top Trends 2022, the ruling adds fuel to a trend we call Empowered Privacy. From purchases on Amazon to booking travel, our widespread digital interactions can all become potential evidence for prosecutors. Specifically, the recent swapping of period tracking apps indicates people are seeking increased anonymity, with those advertising the tightest security landing on top. Google recently announced plans to roll out an auto-delete feature on user location history of visits to medical facilities around the country. As companies rush to strengthen and promote their policies, a steady stream of newly crucial information is informing people’s loyalties.  

For brands, the time for radical transparency is now 

Brands need to make data privacy clear, concise, and prominent to build trust with people. According to a recent study by Statista, US smartphone users are 60% more likely to be concerned with brands using their data vs. the government (40% vs. 25%). The youngest adult generation, fed up with the surveillance and exhibitionism of the internet, prefers social and sharing apps that lean on anonymity, like the blogging platform Tumblr and chat app Discord.  

Brands can no longer bury the details of data policies in the fine print, relying on passive customer opt-ins. Instead, a pharmacy retail store, for example, needs to be clear about its use of customer data taken for a rewards program. This includes how they use it, if and how they make money off it, with whom they share it, and whether it’s safe from hackers and prosecutors.  

At Horizon Media, we’ve created an ecosystem with our partners that utilizes data clean rooms. These are safe environments that protect individuals’ privacy while returning valuable insights for the secure and seamless extraction of data.