Part 3: Everything You Wanted to Know About Data Privacy But Were Afraid to Ask

Recently, TRU Staffing Partners Founder and CEO Jared Coseglia was featured on The Art Lewis Show, a talk-radio program that is part of the WSGW Morning Team in Saginaw, Michigan. Art Lewis has been a radio personality for more than four decades, doing talk shows as far back as 1965. On this broadcast, Coseglia and Lewis sat down to discuss data brokers, data security, online privacy, and what all of it means to the average consumer.

This is the third installment of a three-part series recapping their conversation, a lively debate on the topics of data brokers, data privacy, and the future of privacy legislation and the privacy job market.

Missed the first part of the series? Catch up with Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.

Art Lewis: Much in the news these days is a fellow named Elon Musk, who may be purchasing Twitter. What’s going to happen there? How will that change the world?

Jared Coseglia: I think Twitter has already changed the world. What I’ll share with you next is really my opinion. For me, Twitter has always been about news. So it will be really interesting to see if they take the pivot toward becoming more of a news outlet. Things appear on Twitter before you see them on TV, and information from here is sometimes considered more truthful than from other venues. Information on Twitter is reported by individuals instead of organizations with either left or right leanings. It will be interesting to see how it evolves.

AL: It is interesting from the journalistic side. We look at it and say well, I understand what is being said, but it is still unverified. It hasn’t gone through the professional standards of journalism. There is a lot to be careful about when you are on Twitter. You need to take that information with a grain of salt.

Algorithmic Data Privacy & Platform Trust

JC: Back to the use of data, if the sale goes through, the issue will be how Elon may rewrite the algorithms to analyze the data put in by users and what actions will be automated or taken by an adjudicating board once the data tells them that someone is posting misinformation on its platform or promoting violence or hate. Then how will Twitter react? So it will be interesting to see if he builds journalistic integrity into the algorithms of  the platform in order to give the brand TRUST. That’s all the general public wants. If the public trusts Twitter, they will trust what comes out of it, not the individual users.

AL: He is spending billions of dollars to get Twitter. I understand how Amazon or Google monetizes data. How does Twitter make its money?

JC: They obviously haven’t done as good of a job at it, that’s for sure. That has been the critique of the organization for a long time. They have not been as invested in the advertisement or marketing revenue generation as other orgs like Facebook. We’ll see if that changes. There is a lot of speculation that it will and Twitter will become a lot more like Facebook or Google. You might see more ads targeted to you based on the analysis of your data. Prepare for that – it’s a very likely outcome. However, the opposite outcome is also likely true. Elon could privatize the company, removing the SEC scrutiny the other competitors have. That could dramatically change what Twitter does with their data.

AL: It’s going to be interesting to see if and how he transforms that platform. You mentioned the Wild West earlier. Elon may be the new sheriff in town.

Transparency, Consumer Privacy, and Trust

JC: Well, the whole point of going public is to give transparency to consumers and investors. When a company goes private, they are not required to be as transparent as a public company. But transparency is a cornerstone of data privacy. Data privacy leads to consumer retention and acquisition. So will Elon choose to set the bar higher for privacy and transparency by setting new standards? If he does, other companies will follow suit. That would be really amazing.

AL: Am I more secure and more private with Apple or Windows?

JC: It’s not about whether you are more secure with them, it’s about how you control the settings they provide you. If you control both settings equally, you’ll be equally safe on either system. At the end of the day, the companies aren’t the villains. In some ways, the companies are the heroes because they are determining what the right ethical ways are to use and manage the data. Until the government steps in (which may not necessarily be best for business or consumers) and creates the legislation around data privacy, we have to work collaboratively with companies that use data to define what the correct moves are.

AL: If you are talking to a group of young people, what would you tell them about why should they go into the data privacy or security business? And what do they need to do to get there?

Data Privacy Jobs: Career Considerations

JC: The people in this community are just awesome. They are really passionate about their work. They care deeply about their jobs, community, and the evangelism of good privacy habits and standards as part of our definition as a species. That’s really the magnitude of how leaders in this space look at it. I love it for that reason. You are going to find people who love what they do, are eager to transfer knowledge to people and mentor others. So for those reasons, this is a great industry. Aside from all that, it’s cool for us to work on things that you see in the headlines. We love things that get talked about on shows like the one John Oliver did on data brokers a while ago. Working in this industry, you feel like you are a part of something much bigger than yourself, your company, the community. This is an industry that touches every single person across the entire world and will continue to do so for lifetimes to come.

Get Sought-After Privacy Certifications

The next part of that is how to get into it. The best way to get training and education is with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). You can register for free online training on the TRU Staffing Partners website. The IAPP is one of our most strategic partners. They offer various certifications for both the legal aspects as well as the operational and technical aspects that give you the foundational knowledge necessary to break into this business. So, I would start there. Second, remember that privacy touches every aspect of every business. Stick your hand up and volunteer at your present company. Figure out how you can be a privacy champion in whatever department needs you most. No one will say no to someone volunteering to help champion that cause.

AL: Are these well-paying jobs?

JC: These are extremely well-paying jobs. Entry-level jobs will fall in the $50-75k range. If you get two or three years of experience, you could be making close to six figures, if not more. If you are a lawyer moving into this space, you could add at least another $60k on top of that. Professionals at the peak of their game are making millions of dollars a year in leadership roles in this space.

TRU Staffing Partners is here to answer any and all questions posed by people looking to break into the business, or from people looking to hire these professionals. Interested in this industry? Browse our open privacy jobs today or submit an application.

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