DataGrail’s Data Privacy Trends, Benchmarks, and Insights for the Age of Consumer Awareness
DataGrail is back with a new installment of our annual privacy benchmark report. Previous editions focused exclusively on CCPA trends, but we’re going global this year.
Our industry-leading Privacy Control Center™ helps companies build customer trust and outsmart business risk with live data mapping, guided privacy assessments (DPIAs), and automated data subject request (DSR) fulfillment. These tools give us unparalleled insights into how privacy trends are evolving across our customer base which includes companies of all sizes, from startups to publicly traded household names.
The report analyzes the number of privacy requests DataGrail processed in 2021 versus 2022 and creates a benchmark for businesses to calibrate the status of their privacy program for 2023 and beyond. This year, we spotted an interesting trend: 52% of privacy requests came from states lacking privacy protections. This highlights people’s urgent desire to control their personal data. We also recorded a dramatic increase in the number of total requests compared to last year. Concerns over data privacy rose sharply in 2022, likely fueled by a constant stream of related news, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Sephora’s settlement with the California Attorney General, and the EU’s crackdown on Meta’s data privacy practices.
Read on for the highlights, or download the full report.
Highlights:
- Total DSR volume per 1M identities increased by 72% from 2021 to 2022
- The average number of Access requests per 1M grew by more than 5x from 2021 to 2022
- The estimated cost of processing Deletion & Access requests (DSAR) per 1M identities in 2022 was $648K/Year
- Some businesses can expect around 650 requests per 1M identities (including Access, Deletion, and Do Not Sell requests)
Privacy Requests Are Increasing Annually
Driven by a large increase in Access and Deletion requests, the total volume of DSRs per 1M identities grew by 72% YoY from 2021 to 2022. There’s increasing awareness due to heightened media attention on privacy issues, and a resulting desire for more control over personal data are likely contributors to this rise.
The Cost of Privacy Continues to Rise
Using Gartner’s estimated processing rate of $1,524 per one request, the cost of manually processing Access and Deletion requests could cost companies ~$648K per 1M identities, according to our 2022 data. This is an increase of $409K per 1M identities from 2021.
Privacy Requests Go Beyond Regulated Jurisdictions
Our data indicates privacy requests are submitted by people all over the globe — not just in regulated territories like Europe, China, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and California. In the United States, 52% of 2022 requests came from states without privacy laws in place protecting their citizens. Thankfully, things are starting to change now that other states are passing privacy laws, like Colorado, Virginia, and Utah.
Note: As a United States-based company with a larger regional footprint in the U.S., our data skews toward privacy requests coming from the U.S. and may not be an accurate reflection of total global requests.
The 2023 State of Data Privacy: US & Europe
In 2022, Americans started recognizing privacy as a human right, desiring more control over how their personal data is used, and spending more money with the brands that earn their trust. 2023 is shaping up to be a year of growing privacy actions due to sustained media focus on legislative and regulatory activity on both sides of the Atlantic.
Download the report for a full breakdown of US, EU, and UK privacy regulation updates from 2022 and 2023 thus far.
Use the Full Privacy Trends 2023 Report To Start Building a Best-in-Class Privacy Program Today
Keeping a pulse on privacy trends can help ensure your company stays ahead of the pack. If you want more privacy trend data and tips, including ideas on preparing your organization for the coming year, download the full report and take your privacy program to the next level.