Privacy-Enhancing Technology | Definition
Privacy-enhancing technologies are hardware or software designed to balance privacy with usability. Examples of PETs include contact tracing, user locations, and electronic payment processes.
Why are privacy-enhancing technologies important?
These technologies are important because they can regulate the amount of data that is processed to help protect personal information. In this time of increased regulations on data privacy and protection, PETs play an important role. Privacy breaches and data loss are harmful. Keeping data secure and private impacts the reputation of businesses and the trust of consumers.
Related Terms
How do privacy-enhancing technologies work?
There are a number of PETs that can be used in a variety of ways. Any type of technology that increases security while decreasing data loss can be considered a PET. There are a number of PETs, such as:
Data masking
Data masking is the technique of changing the values of the data while using the same format as the original dataset. This creates a fake but true version of the original data. There are a few ways to mask data, such as:
- Reliable VPN
- Pseudonymization and obfuscation
- Data minimization
- Communication anonymizers
Cryptography
Cryptography is the process of encrypting sensitive data by utilizing algorithms and decrypting it once it arrives at its intended place. Only the sender and recipient have access to the data by encrypting the data before sending it and then unscrambling it upon arrival. There are a few types of cryptography techniques, which include:
- Homomorphic encryption
- Secure multi-party computation (SMPC)
- Differential privacy/obfuscation
- Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP)
Privacy-enhancing technology and Kochava
As an MMP, Kochava wants to empower marketers and brands to embrace this new time of user privacy while also giving them the tools they need to succeed. Kochava has provided their customers with solutions such as a consent management platform for CCPA and GDPR, Privacy Profiles for the ATT framework, and compliant integrations and partnerships with super publishers and ad network platforms.
As user privacy becomes more optimized and secure with privacy-enhancing technologies, Kochava will continue to be the trusted data steward between advertisers, privacy regulations, and users by providing privacy-first measurement solutions. Kochava empowers advertisers to do their work while providing them with the confidence that their data handling has met all the privacy regulations and laws.
If you are interested in learning more about Kochava tools, contact us at support@kochava.com or get started by checking out our solutions.
