Article by: Mike York, COO

Today is National Data Privacy Day. I know, I know. Many of you celebrate privately. I respect that, but it’s my privilege to bring attention to America’s 86th favorite holiday (*not real*). What started in Europe in 2007, America quickly adopted in 2009 to encourage data protection at the start of each new year.

A day to:

• reflect
• recommit
• and immediately ignore every pop-up asking about cookies

From a market research perspective, this is our Super Bowl: instead of wings, we have consent language; instead of commercials, we have legal teams nervously watching from the sidelines.

Let’s celebrate responsibly.

A Moment of Silence for “I Agree”

Let’s start with the most important behavior of our time: Clicking “I Agree” without scrolling.

This is not laziness. This is emotional self-preservation.

Consumers are not consenting. They are escaping.

Market research insight: If people actually read privacy policies, the internet would shut down by lunch.

Consumers Care About Privacy. Just… Selectively.

Research consistently shows:

• people care deeply about privacy
• people do not care deeply enough to change their behavior

This creates the modern paradox: “I don’t want you tracking me, but also please remember my preferences, order history, and overall vibe.”

Privacy isn’t about secrecy. It’s about control.

Consumers want to know:

• who has their data
• what you’re doing with it
• and whether it’s going to sneak up and embarrass them later if they enter into professional sports or politics.

What Consumers Think We’re Doing With Their Data

From qualitative research, we know consumers believe companies use their data to:

• spy on them
• judge them
• sell it to “someone weird”
• or recommend that one product they talked about once near their phone

Are they right? Not always.

Are they emotionally justified? Absolutely.

Meanwhile, Inside Market Research…

On our side of the screen, data privacy looks like:

• anonymization
• aggregation
• governance frameworks
• and six people debating whether a question is too specific

We are not spying.

We are:

• desperately trying to understand patterns
• without crossing a line
• while regulators, consumers, and ethics committees watch what we’re doing with our hands

Thrilling stuff. Blink twice if you’re still with me!

The Real Privacy Flex: Not Being Creepy

From a research lens, the gold standard of data privacy isn’t secrecy.

It’s not being weird.

Consumers don’t want:

• hyper-specific targeting
• unsettling accuracy
• or ads that feel like they know too much

They want:

• relevance
• restraint
• and plausible deniability

If your insight makes someone say, “Wait… how did they know that?”

You have gone too far.

Why Privacy Is Actually Good for Research (Yes, Really)

Privacy constraints force better research.

They push us to:

• ask smarter questions
• design cleaner studies
• focus on patterns instead of individuals
• and earn trust instead of assuming it

Good research doesn’t need everything. It needs enough, used responsibly.

What National Data Privacy Day Really Celebrates

It celebrates the quiet agreement between researchers and consumers:

“We’ll be respectful. You’ll be honest. And no one will make this weird.”

It’s about:

• trust without oversharing
• insight without intrusion
• and learning without lurking

Which, honestly, is a beautiful thing.

The Last Word

On National Data Privacy Day, let’s remember:

Consumers don’t hate data collection. They hate surprise.

They don’t hate insight. They hate creepiness.

And they don’t want invisibility. They want boundaries.

So today, celebrate by:

• rereading your consent language
• thanking your legal team
• and clicking “Accept All” a little more self-aware than usual

Happy Data Privacy Day.

We see you. But, respectfully… not too closely.

***

SMARI is an award-winning Indiana-based market research consultancy that was founded in 1983 with the idea of guiding change and inspiring confidence. We are proud to work with SMEs as well as a variety of Fortune 500 brands. We are powered by our core values: integrity, community, perseverance, trust, passion, curiosity, and innovation. SMARI’s expertise encompasses complete project scopes, including instrument design, sampling & fielding services, reporting & analysis in the Healthcare, CPG, Retail, Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, and Financial Services industries, among others. Much has changed in our 40+ years, but our tagline and overarching mission remain the same—to guide change and inspire confidence. Start a conversation with us at www.SMARI.com.