As sports betting and casino gambling roll out across the USA, many affiliates are beginning to settle into the American markets and see what is on offer here. However, in doing so they need to ensure that they are staying on the right side of the law, especially with a new data privacy bill on the horizon in key states like Colorado. Let’s take a closer look at this bill and how it might affect affiliates.
What is the new data privacy bill?
The Colorado House recently passed the Colorado Privacy Act. Following being approved by the state Senate back in May, it is expected to also be signed into law by the Governor.
The bill places control over consumers’ personal information in their hands. It allows them the right to opt-out of certain data processing operations if they so choose. In turn, this means that they will have greater control over the amount of information available about them online. These restrictions will apply to businesses that process the data of over 100,000 consumers annually or gain revenue from the sale of such data in addition to processing it for 25,000 customers annually.
What changes will this bring?
While this is a fantastic move for consumer protection, this data privacy bill does present some challenges to businesses and marketers. Data collection and the tracking of consumer behaviour and habits are key components of marketing. They can help to create targeted ads and other marketing practices that can lead to successful and interesting marketing campaigns.
Under the new regulations, a consumer will be able to choose whether they wish to opt-out of the processing of their data. They are also permitted to request the deletion of any data that a company has collected. Finally, the data privacy bill will allow them to opt-in to the collection of any data that might be deemed to be particularly sensitive, such as religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
What does this mean for marketers?
For those who are beginning to explore what affiliate marketing can offer them, such changes need to be obeyed carefully. There are many pitfalls here that will need to be avoided if one is to create successful advertising campaigns.
However, affiliates might also be familiar with other data privacy restrictions, such as the California Privacy Rights Act or the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. It is important to ensure that marketing strategies are compliant with any such regulations a marketer could face. A blanket strategy for all of them is not going to cut it, and it is vital that the nuances between each are understood.
This could lead to some fantastic innovations in terms of trust and transparency, but for now, affiliates should focus on remaining compliant. Whether you are considering entering the Colorado markets, or you are already operating there and may need to make some changes, it is highly important that you familiarise yourself with this new data protection bill, so you can then adjust strategies and campaigns as needed.
