Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Enterprise Data Management and Governance (30-slide PowerPoint presentation). Unleashing the Potential of Enterprise Data Management: Navigating the Data Deluge
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, enterprises are witnessing an unprecedented surge in data generation year after year. As reported by Grand View Research, the data management solutions market attained a [read more]
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Differentiator: How Companies Are Turning Removal & Clean-Data Policies into Competitive Advantage
For a long time, data privacy wasn’t exactly a marketable thing for most companies. On the contrary, it was simply a compliance requirement – something that businesses had to do if they wanted to meet regulations and avoid any legal trouble.
But as ever in the world of business, if one big dog does something – and does it well – a domino effect can occur. The big dog, in this case, was Apple.
Making Privacy “Cool”
Around five years ago, Apple’s messaging on privacy became far more prominent, using it as a marketable feature that gave them a distinct advantage over competitors.
As a result, privacy almost became ‘cool’, with companies around the world following suit to turn removal and clean-data policies into a key differentiator in the market. In 2025, it’s now a critical component of brand reputation and customer trust, with businesses recognizing that how they handle data can directly influence consumer decisions and loyalty.
There are even companies that have arisen that have made removal, specifically, their main offering. One of the most popular right now, for instance, is Incogni, which specializes in helping individuals remove their personal information from online databases by automating the opt-out process.
The reason something like this is so popular is because more people are becoming aware of the data problem, and how easy it is to leave a digital footprint that can be collected and exploited – and the reason they’re becoming aware of this is because of how prevalent data privacy is in today’s business marketing strategies.
Clean-Data Policies: A Competitive Advantage
The way in which companies are doing this is mainly through implementing rigorous data ethics and management practices that prioritize accuracy, removal, and, most importantly, transparency.
By ensuring that the data they collect is clean and up-to-date, businesses not only reduce regulatory risk but also build trust with customers who – because of the marketing plans we mentioned above – are becoming increasingly concerned about privacy.
This approach then allows companies to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, presenting themselves as responsible stewards of personal information in a world where data collection is feeling more and more intrusive.
There are still plenty of businesses, of course, that don’t do this. Whether it’s due to a lack of awareness or insufficient resources, these are the ones that are losing customer trust and effectively falling behind competitors who treat it as a core part of their brand strategy.
Are they negligent in their nature? No. Certainly not all of them. But they’re behind the curve when it comes to leveraging data privacy effectively and understanding what customers really want, which makes them a lesser option in comparison to competitors who are responsible and transparent enough to make an impact.
Conclusion
By following rigorous data ethics and protocols – and using those protocols as a key part of their marketing strategy – companies are now not only complying with regulations, but differentiating themselves in the market to attract and retain privacy-conscious consumers.
As time moves on, too, this will only become more important, which is ultimately a positive thing for both companies and individuals alike as we look to move towards a brighter, safer digital future.
Data Governance is all about overseeing the accessibility, practicality, reliability and safety of enterprise data. Data Governance safeguards data uniformity, dependability, and fair use.
In data-driven organizations, the importance of Data Governance is supreme to generate value. For [read more]
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For a long time, data privacy wasn’t exactly a marketable thing for most companies. On the contrary, it was simply a compliance requirement – something that businesses had to do if they wanted to meet regulations and avoid any legal trouble.
