Bamboo Data Consulting is a consulting agency specializing in privacy, security, data strategy and a range of cutting-edge technology ethics work. They come up with creative solutions to give you peace of mind.
Tell us about Bamboo Data Consulting
Bamboo Data Consulting is a privacy consulting firm. We're based in Toronto and we provide end-to-end privacy consulting from privacy risk assessments to designing and operationalizing a privacy program that speaks to our client's business strategies and values.
Bamboo Data Consulting prides itself in being a trusted privacy advisor to our clients in providing practical solutions not only to reduce privacy risks, but to create a competitive advantage in the market. We truly become a part of our client's family and believe in the "teach a fisherman to fish" approach. We ensure that we collaborate with business stakeholders to add value to what they do rather than to change what they do. And we promote collaboration amongst stakeholders so that everyone within the business is aligned with the way that they handle business or the way that they handle data rather privacy is an interoperable function and affects all business streams.
Finally, like a bamboo plant, we're agile and we're flexible and therefore provide unique privacy consulting experiences to each of our clients depending on their needs. We can do that because we have a well-rounded team that has a background in consultancy in law as well as working in-house in large organizations.
But most importantly, we are lifelong learners and explorers. So we're able to see privacy through many different lenses and understand our client's needs from compliance all the way through to operation.
What's your relationship with data?
Investment in data has grown rapidly in recent years. Not only has it been good for the economy, but also for the betterment of society. Data has made us more efficient, it's assisted us with finding cures for diseases. Our society has advanced in so many ways because of data and we've been able to make amazing discoveries and revelations that we probably otherwise would never have made.
But all of this has come with a price. We must give up some of our most personal and intimate information for these advancements, and while we may think it's worth the cost of giving up information for the convenience, for finding a cure, for advancing society - the issue is that once you give up your information, you never get it back. You lose control over it.
It's like giving away the key to your home. You never know when that person may come in or when that person may take your assets without asking or how they may rearrange your furniture or maybe change the locks so now you're locked out.
The problem is that once individuals give up their information it becomes really difficult to control it. Who has access to it, what they do with it, how it will be shared, will the data be used to that individual's detriment. This is really the privacy paradox and the answer to this dilemma is not to refrain from collecting or using data or even disclosing your personal information.
We're past that point. We need to define who has control over data. We need to have a shared understanding of how data is collected, what it's going to be used for and also how it's going to be shared. We really need to build trust which has already been broken by many data breaches and misuse of data and our mission at Bamboo is really to help companies innovate and grow and find ways to build trust with their consumers.
Our mission is to help companies demonstrate that they are responsible with data and that they have put proper controls around their data handling practices which align with the purpose for which the individual provided them with that data in the first place.
Why the Data Collaboration Alliance?
We're really excited to be working with Data Collaboration Alliance! As technology and data constantly change and revolutionize, privacy does as well. There is nothing static about privacy. Unfortunately, our laws can barely keep up to adjust what appears to be an uneven playing field.
We are thrilled to be collaborating with data and privacy professionals to brainstorm and solve a problem that has existed for some time yet it's still so new and so evolving. We love the innovation in the space but maybe what we need is a complete redesign of the way that we think about privacy and the way that we control data.
What if we turn privacy on its head and instead of giving companies control over data, we give it back to the user? Or what if there was more transparency, and we don't mean such as developing more transparent or user-friendly privacy policies that nobody even reads.
Would there be more trust? Would more data be shared if there was more trust? We don't know but we want to explore, we want to learn, we want to grow. We want to be part of a movement and they say it takes a village and we want to be a part of that village.
Your Invitation
So if you are a privacy professional or if you're just interested in privacy or even if you want to contribute - one plus one always equals three! So go to datacollaboration.org, check it out, and contribute in whichever way you can.
It's always better to have more people more ideas and we can make a difference.
The Data Drop News is a production of the Data Collaboration Alliance, a nonprofit working to advance data ownership through pilot projects in sustainability, healthcare, education, and social inclusion. We also offer free training in the Data Collaboration methodology. Listen to the Data Drop on our website or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.