Privacy in Action: Aiyana Jackson, Senior Privacy Counsel at Snapchat
Aiyana Jackson Senior Privacy Counsel, Snapchat
Aiyana Jackson is Senior Privacy Counsel at Snap Inc. (Snapchat). Aiyana received her Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, her Master’s of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa. Aiyana has been a Certified Privacy Professional (CIPP) since 2011.
Interview with Aiyana Jackson:
Startpage: Fill in the blank: Privacy is _____.
Aiyana: Privacy is often desired, but rarely completely understood.
Startpage: One a scale of 1 to 10, how private are you? How private do you think the general public is?
Aiyana: I’m at 9; General Public is at 2.
Startpage: Why are data privacy and private search important to you? In your line of work? In your personal life?
Aiyana: Online search engines have become the modern-day yellow pages. For me, it’s often the first and last stop on my journey for finding the best Sushi restaurant in LA to finding any recent articles related to a legal issue I’m researching at any given time. That said, I am at all times aware of the digital footprint I leave behind. Being able to search privately is essential to allowing me to conduct research for my personal life and professional life without the data I am providing being leveraged in a manner of which I am unaware and didn’t sign up for.
Startpage: How do you envision data privacy in the future? 1 year, 10 years, lifetime?
Aiyana: Before CCPA, the U.S. was known for having the lowest standards when it came to privacy. I think CCPA has changed all of that. I think we can expect to see similar laws from other states following suit. I also think that as technology continues to advance, so will Data Privacy. Notice and Consent will always be a hallmark of any privacy legislation, but I think advancements in technology will require us to think outside the box as it relates to what “Notice” and “Consent” will look like in the future.
Startpage: In your professional experience, how have you seen companies implementing privacy in products and services?
Aiyana: It used to be the case that Privacy was an afterthought– just a rubber stamp the lawyers would give right before a product would go to market. Now, privacy is so integral to how products and services are designed, many companies have implemented the concept of “Privacy by Design” into their product development workflows and processes. Also, as consumers become more privacy savvy, companies have started to tout their privacy practices as a product differentiator.
Startpage: For anyone new to law, what would you recommend as the first steps to protecting their personal data?
Aiyana: Personal data protection first starts with a basic awareness of how your personal data is being used. I would start with reading the Privacy Policies of the companies you patronize. After you’ve read their Privacy Policy, see if you can understand how they are, at a basic level, collecting, using, storing and sharing your data. If you still don’t have a basic understanding after you’ve read their Privacy Policy, you may want to contact their Privacy Office and/or Chief Privacy Officer and ask further questions. All Privacy Policies generally have a contact email where you can submit questions. This is also a great way to let companies know whether they are being clear and transparent about their practices. Believe it not, most companies try to do the right thing and your feedback is often appreciated.
Startpage: When it comes to privacy, what changes have you seen in social media?
Aiyana: When I started focusing my practice exclusively on Privacy in 2011, I didn’t really see a lot of transparency related to data collection and use practices by social media companies. When there was a privacy policy, it was often hard to read (even for lawyers!). They were long and very convoluted and not at all user-friendly. Also, in terms of having control over data provided to these companies, a consumer’s options were limited. Of course, if you wanted to use the service, there was little to no recourse for complaint.
Now, social media companies have taken great efforts to become more transparent regarding their data collection and data usage practices. Their privacy policies are less complex and some even humorous. Finally, I think consumers have been given greater control over their data without it necessarily being seen as a deprecation of the service.
Startpage: Would you rather share your search history or eat the same meal for a month?
Aiyana: Eat the same meal for a month– I do that anyway!
The views expressed in this Q&A are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Startpage.
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