Consumers have a “right to be forgotten” – at least in the EU. Last month, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) classified Google as a data controller and ruled that they must comply with individuals’ requests to remove certain links to personal data. Google has asserted that this will adversely affect innovation, but those claims are premature. The EU’s human rights-centered views have been influencing global standards and privacy practices in the Middle East for decades, and businesses have adapted to more restrictive markets, like China and North Korea, and thrived. The ruling presents opportunities to establish profitable relationships with European clients who desire privacy-based services. Corporations need to see privacy as another market ripe for innovation, one that can yield global profits, because adapting to EU concerns means extending your market reach across the world.
The EU Privacy Ruling Won’t Hurt Innovation
It may open a new market for privacy services.
June 18, 2014
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Innovation and Creativity. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
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