Information management, customer trust and the law - the importance of a “privacy strategy” in e-commerce

Personal information is an important resource in all business activities, and how a business deals with that resource affects how customers view that business; it also has serious legal implications. Yet many businesses continue to operate without a “privacy strategy”. Indeed, many business leaders have never stopped to consider the interaction between information management, customer trust, privacy and the law.
This article argues that businesses in the e-commerce arena are particularly well-advised in having a privacy strategy. It also discusses how such a strategy is to be constructed and gives practical advice on what to consider in drafting a privacy strategy.