Why brands must look into mobile privacy

Kristina: How does mobile fit into our dynamic privacy environment?

Stacy Adams, VP of Marketing, MBlox: Ensuring privacy and security in today's mobile-first world is a lynchpin to long-term business success. Mobile is the means by which almost everyone communicates and is a vital way for people to interact with businesses. Today, consumers perform everyday tasks on their mobile device from booking flights to depositing checks to ordering diapers. With this cultural change, every privacy and security concern companies have considered for years must be reconsidered and tailored for mobile.

Kristina: Consumer preference for interacting with brands on their mobile phones is already at critical mass. Mblox conducted a survey that revealed 86 percent of consumers are open to mobile communication with businesses. However, only 58 percent of companies respond to that interest by using mobile as a platform for engagement. In the coming years, as more businesses acquiesce and communicate with consumers via mobile phones, these companies will need to establish protocols that show consumers they care about privacy and security.

Stacy: Additionally, the growth of wearables such as fitness trackers and smart watches expands the meaning of a mobile device and will further evolve how consumers interact with businesses. This makes it even more critical to pay attention to consumer privacy concerns.

Kristina: What is the role of mobile and SMS in ensuring privacy and security?

Stacy: SMS on its own is as secure as anything else. Phones can be stolen, and SMS messages are not encrypted. However, SMS is a critical vehicle for two-factor authentication, because it allows people to use their unique mobile number to secondarily validate a passcode or other information. It's in the combination of two or more levels of authentication that security is achieved. SMS is also the best way to quickly alert consumers to potential security issues, as survey respondents identified text messages as the best way to reach them for fraud alerts.

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Tags: M:Commerce, MBlox, mobile commerce, mobile marketing, mobile privacy, mobile security