Companies have been collecting the information of their employees, customers, suppliers, etc. for years through digital or non-digital methods and storing a large part of this information. If this information, which is personal data, is not processed in accordance with the Law, it may restrict the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals, lead to violation of private life, and this may cause damage to the person concerned and violations of rights.
The necessity to prevent unlimited and indiscriminate processing of personal data, access to unauthorized persons, misuse and improper use of personal data has revealed the need for legal regulations in this field and the "Personal Data Protection Law" numbered 6698 entered into force on April 7, 2016.
With the entry into force of KVKK, in today's world where data-based business models have become widespread in every field, the sensitivity towards the protection of personal data has accelerated at the same pace and companies have started to invest more in data privacy. Expectations, competitive advantage, reliability, sanctions and digital transformation are among the reasons why companies invest in privacy.
1. Expectations
The law clarifies the rules for the protection of personal data, but today the issue has gone beyond legal obligations and has become important for customer trust. Customers now expect accountability, transparency and trust from brands.
Cisco's consumer privacy survey shows that 84% of respondents care about privacy, their own data, the data of other members of society and want more control over how their data is used.
2. Competitive Advantage
For organizations that said they achieved significant business benefits with privacy, the gains increased from 40% in 2019 to over 70% in 2020. The benefits of privacy include operational efficiency, agility, innovation and brand value.
Companies also achieve maximum efficiency with privacy and KVKK compliance; improve themselves in areas such as customer experience, risk management and cyber security; and implement more efficient and successful marketing campaigns with a higher quality database.
3. Reliability
Seeing privacy as a company value means creating a brand perception that customers will identify with trust and transparency. Therefore, companies consider investing in privacy and KVKK compliance as an investment in the company's brand identity and customer relationships.
4. Sanctions
Companies' fulfillment of their responsibilities regarding the KVKK ensures that they do not face any fines. However, in addition to the financial side, companies are trying to avoid reputational damage caused by sanctions arising from failure to fulfill their obligations and to protect their brand value.
5. Digital Transformation
Especially in recent years, with the acceleration of the digital transformation process in our country as well as in the world and the implementation of digitalization in many areas, personal data has become easily processable. Companies keep the security of personal data, which can be processed by various methods in both real and digital environments, on their agenda.
Investments in privacy and KVKK compliance can be considered as a good opportunity for companies to adapt to digital transformation, improve business processes and customer relations.
