A Simple Guide for – How Consent Management Should Be Implemented?

In today’s digital age, data can potentially be found anywhere. Whether it is a visit to a specific site, subscribing to newsletters, or using applications, individuals continue to disclose personal information online. This also raises a crucial question: Who owns that data? This is answered by what is referred to as consent management.

You saw because every time you click on the acceptance of all cookies on a site or accept a text saying that you accept the terms and conditions, you have given consent. This blog will take you through understanding what consent management is all about, why it is important, and how you should achieve a successful consent management implementation, particularly for readers completely new to the subject.

What is Consent Management?

Consent management refers to the procedure of seeking, accepting, and monitoring a user’s access to his or her data, storing it, and utilizing it.

It makes sure that companies consider user privacy and abide by such laws, as:

• Europe GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
• CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) -USA
• CANADA -PIPEDA
• Regional privacy laws

In simple words, it enables the user to take back their data.

Understand the importance of consent management 

Legal Compliance – Most countries currently make it compulsory to seek express permission before any company gathers personal information. This will lead to huge fines in case it is not done.

Trust & Transparency – People trust that their data will not be misused when they are aware of their usage and can choose not to use the same.

User Control – It is the right of people to choose what happens to their information. It is made possible due to consent management.

Key Principles of Consent Management 

Before we talk deeply about its implementation, let’s talk about its fundamental first. 

• Transparency: Explain to users directly what kind of data collection is being performed and its purpose.
• Choice: Users should be able to choose between saying “yes” or “no.”
• Granularity: Enable users to select with which precise type of data they agree (e.g., marketing emails vs. tracking cookies).
• Evidence: Maintain an account on how and at what time consent is obtained.
• Simple withdrawal: These individuals should be allowed to withdraw at any time.

Easy Steps on How to Implement Consent Management – 

Here’s a simple breakdown of how businesses should apply consent management, which is easier to understand and follow. 

1. Apply a Consent Management Platform (CMP) – Businesses can manage consent most easily through a CMP, which is a tool used to automate the gathering and management of user consent.

The most famous CMPs are:

• OneTrust
• Cookiebot
• Usercentrics
• TrustArc

An ideal CMP will:

• Showcase consent pop-ups or banners
• Monitor and record the preferences of users
• Give users the freedom to change their preferences at any given time

2. Design a Consent Banner/Pop-up – This is what is normally displayed first when visiting your site. It should:

• Show up right away (or a little later)
• Precise the type of data retrieved and why it is retrieved
• Use such options as “Accept All,” “Reject All,” or manage preferences
• Be clear and accessible

 In simple words, we employ cookies to enhance your experience, to use traffic analysis, and to indicate personal ads you. You can control preferences at any time.

3. Offer Detailed Preferences (Granular Consent) – Not everyone doesn’t needs to be comfortable with all data being collected. Give consumers the ability to choose and deselect items, such as –

• Practical cookies (required by the site)
• Analytical cookies (to analyze user behaviour)
• Marketing cookies (targeted advertisement)

This develops user confidence and abides by the privacy laws.

4.  Track a Report of Consent – The companies should demonstrate that they had obtained consent in the instances of audit or legal investigation. That means:

• Keep a track of the date, time, and the approach of consent 
• Documentation of what the user consented to
• Saving any updates or withdrawals of consent
• CMPs tend to do this automatically.

5. Encourage the Easy Withdrawal of Consent – The withdrawal of consent should also be as easy as granting freely. Add a good choice of:

• Privacy settings
• Account settings
• Cookie banner (even on a first visit)
• The obligation to use previous decisions should never hurt the user.

6. Work on Your Privacy Policy -The privacy policy should be consistent with your actions. Look at it:

• Lists all kinds of data gathered
• Briefly explain how consent is gathered
• Instructs users on how to alter or withdraw consent.
• Includes contact addresses for privacy enquiries
• Make it convenient to locate, typically posted at the bottom of your site.

7. Train Your Staff – All those who are engaged in the maintenance of the website, app, or customer data should realize:

• The importance of consent, although consent seems straightforward, there are several reasons behind why it is important.
• The functioning of CMP 
• How to deal with questions or concerns on the part of users

When a team is well informed, it is smoother to implement and reduce errors.

How does Kaliper help its clients with the consent management implementation? 

Kaliper assists its clients with the implementation of consent management by providing specialized consultation and strategic advice based on regulatory and organizational needs.  Our experts assist businesses in knowing what consent under data privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, etc, may mean to their business in legal and operational terms.  This way, our customers plan a proper consent management framework design, identify technology solutions, and transform internal processes to be compliant with the regulatory requirements through workshops, policy-level reviews, and process assessments.

Conclusion – Consent management is all about respecting the user, gaining his trust, and building a relationship with them that is built on transparency. You might be a small site owner or a large organization, and either way, these steps could make all the difference in the perception of people regarding your brand. With the proper tools and attitude, you can easily and effectively deploy consent management. There is no doubt that ultimately, your users are the owners of their data. All you need is to have their consent to utilize it, but this should be done with caution. To learn more, you can visit our website or schedule a call with our experts.