The growth of internet/online shopping is one of the most prominent market features of today. And rightly so! It has allowed both buyers and sellers to easily cut across time and space to do better business. Brick-and-mortar shops still have their own charm and use in the market. But a lot of the market is now moving on to online platforms.
The main reason is that it makes products and services more accessible between sellers and consumers. But there are downsides to new market practices, and online shopping is no exception. One of the biggest concerns for consumers today is data privacy and safe browsing.
What is Data Privacy?
Data privacy is essentially the issue of how much information you leave online and how freely can organizations share this information. It sounds simple enough. But in the ever-growing space of online commerce and registrations, it can take a complicated turn.
This is not to say that only anonymous browsing is desirable. On the contrary, giving the right information can sometimes mean more security and safety. But it can be a tight rope to walk when businesses and organizations also want to learn more about their customers to help the business.
The legislation on ICT (Information and Communication Technology) can often leave loopholes that allow questionable organizations to exploit information. That is why today there is an ever-growing concern among users about what kind of digital footprints they’re leaving online.
Why is it important?
When shopping online, data privacy becomes really important for most users. And this is because we leave or submit relevant information about ourselves on the websites that we visit. While this may be negligible items like cookies when you’re browsing, other times, it includes personal details and information.
Data analytics shows that this information can be used for a variety of marketing and commercial benefits by companies. So, it’s important for any online platform to reassure its users that their information is safe and secure. The real safety of this information will depend on the privacy measures and policies that the website uses. And many of the times, it’s not enough to know whether your data is completely safe, legally being shared, or illegally sold. But the first thing you have to do is, at the least, understand what it means and go through a brand’s privacy policy.
Privacy policy’s
Companies like Shoppok are an online buy & sell platform that’s community-based and becoming incredibly popular over the years. With more users and interaction, buyers and sellers both want to know the data privacy that the platform offers. The first good thing we see about the website is that they have their privacy measures clearly given for users to go through.
Let’s look at the different aspects of their privacy policy and understand them better.
· Privacy Protection
As measures for protecting their users’ privacy, the website offers the steps they take. The website mentions that it doesn’t run commercial ads that include pop-ups, pop-unders, banner ads, etc. So, this is a welcome policy for buyers and sellers alike. Pop up ads can usually take you outside of the website to another destination. And when you don’t know where you’re heading online, it’s usually a privacy concern.
The website also mentions that they don’t give your info to third parties/other entities for the sake of marketing. It’s a reassuring feature because there are companies that sell your information to other entities for marketing benefits. If any information must reach other parties, they make it clear that it will happen only under the user’s explicit consent.
One of the best parts of a good privacy policy is that they don’t spam your email with unsolicited mails and marketing gimmicks.
· Collected data
The website mentions that they collect your email address. This is not just understandable but required to ensure that your interactions on the website are successful. Also, any confirmation or self-publishing emails they have to send is sent to your mail. If you decide/choose to register as a user, they’ll use the email you provide for user-authentication and subscription services.
· Storing Data
The website will store data on classified ads that users post on the platform. This information will find a place in their databases. The safety of this information depends not just on the security of the database but also the kind of vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
Disclaimer: All information mentioned here is based on publicly available sections of the service’s website. Do not rely only on the explicit information shared here. Kindly get in touch with the website or research more on the matter if you have any privacy concerns.
Summary of Privacy Policy
The privacy policy definitely should have a lot of standard privacy measures that users usually want. They have simple descriptions of what they offer and what they don’t. This makes it easier for users to understand what kind of information the website stores.
The website does not run unnecessary pop-ups and banner ads, which is a refreshing change from other online stores. So, you’ll find a more pleasing and relaxing browsing experience when you’re looking for something to buy or sell. The data storage and collection need to be understood better before any further comparisons can be made. Regardless of the website, users should always practice caution while browsing or viewing any content online.
Here are some basic guidelines to help you avoid data theft and criminal use. When registering on the site, never use your passport data, only email, Name and phone number. Sometimes sites ask you to provide your last name, if you are not sure about the reliability of the site, enter a fictitious name. When buying goods from individuals, never tell them the details of bank cards, do not send photos of cards and passports. You can enter bank card details only when paying directly on the website or in the application and when going to the bank’s website. The bank will always ask you to confirm the operation using the code in the message or in the application. Be careful!
