Compliance is complicated. Not being compliant can be expensive. ADA, CCPA, and GDPR, aren’t just random letters in some alphabet soup. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are standards to which all businesses are being held accountable. Make 2020 the year you are not only aware of these acts and regulations but are taking steps to be compliant with all the relevant laws, policies, acts, and regulations. Make sure you have all the information you need to achieve ADA, CCPA, and GDPR compliance.
It’s 2020. Are you prepared for ADA, CCPA, and GDPR compliance?
ADA Compliance
Good news! If you are actively managing your website SEO, you are likely already taking steps toward ADA compliance. Most businesses are looking to make their website one that can be accessed by as many people as possible, what all does that entail? Implemented in 2010, the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design became the standard for accessibility of goods and services offered on the web. Designing websites to be accessible includes designing for people with sensory impairments, for people with physical limitations, and for people who rely on assistive technologies.
Many SEO tactics support ADA compliance, for example, image alt tags, and captions. Not only do search bots use alt tags to determine the contents of an image, but screen readers use these tags and captions to identify and read the image appropriately to visually impaired users. Do you share video on your website? For ADA compliance, it’s important to provide a readable transcript. By including the transcript, you also get the added bonus of supplying search engines with keyword-rich text.
Of course, not every step towards ADA compliance is tied to SEO benefits. Keyboard accessible websites accommodate users who cannot visually view a screen or physically use a mouse. Things like text alignment and font can significantly impact readability for some users. Even color choices can impact accessibility, as light or contrast sensitivity affects some users. Designing a more inclusive webspace doesn’t have to be complex, but it does require intention and planning.
CCPA Compliance
If you think that the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) doesn’t affect you because your business isn’t headquartered in California, or even have a physical presence there, you would be mistaken. The CCPA might be the new kid on the block, but it’s here to stay. This privacy act affects any business that does business in California and meets a few other requirements.
What is CCPA?
CCPA is a data privacy law that establishes new consumer rights for California state residents relating to the access to, deletion of, and sharing of personal information that is collected by businesses.
Consumers want to know what companies are doing with their personal data. For businesses to achieve CCPA compliance, they must disclose their data collection and sharing practices to consumers. They must allow consumers to exclude their data from being shared with third parties. Companies will need to update their privacy policies and must have a clearly visible footer on their website offering consumers the option to opt out of data sharing.
GDPR Compliance
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was perhaps the most significant change in data privacy laws in over 20 years. It was likely the jumping-off point for the CCPA, as both center around personal data and what businesses do with that data. Just like the CCPA, GDPR applies to you regardless of where your business is based, where you process your data, or where you store your data. If you are doing business with or advertising to individuals, including travelers, within the European Union (EU) or the UK, GDPR applies. Simply put, the GDPR gives individuals within the EU and UK the opportunity to consent to specific uses of their data.
Businesses must explain consent in an easy-to-understand and easily accessible format. Consent cannot be provided in a pre-checked box and cannot be a requirement for a completely separate process. For example, businesses cannot require consent to download a whitepaper. Finally, consent must also have an expiration date, after which consent has to be re-attained. Beyond consent, GDPR compliance includes other rights for EU and UK residents. For example, data breach notification and the right to have data erasure. Non-compliant businesses run the risk of being fined. As of April 13, 2020 250 businesses have been fined anywhere from £90 to £50,000,000 (check the link for live updates).
Make 2020 the year you mitigate your business risks by becoming ADA, CCPA, and GDPR compliant. Contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation, and let’s see if we are a good fit for your business.
Key Takeaways
- Reach more users with an ADA compliant website. Many SEO tactics, including the use of alt tags, support ADA compliance
- The physical location of your business does not determine whether GDPR or CCPA applies. If you do business in California, the EU, or the UK, you need to be CCPA and GDPR compliant.
- The CCPA took effect on January 1, 2020. Ensure your website has the proper disclosure links and an updated privacy policy for CCPA compliance.
