The ins and outs of consent management platforms

Data has long been a workhorse – serving a multitude of purposes across a single organization, ranging from tailored advertising to revenue generation. As a result, managing and complying with customer data preferences is often a nearly impossible task. This is where a consent management platform (CMP) can be your workhorse’s workhorse – providing the foundation to ensure data compliance based on evolving regulations.

In the face of mounting but patchwork privacy legislation across the United States and Europe, more companies than ever before are finding themselves in search of a consent and preference management (CPM) solution. Unsurprisingly, the market size of CPMs is exponentially growing. These platforms help businesses of all sizes remain compliant while they build a framework that delivers a consumer-centric experience based on trust. The effects can be powerful, and those who ignore the opportunities risk legal consequences and PR nightmares. 

Let’s delve into the ins and outs of consent management platforms, addressing why consent management is important and how to find the right platform for your needs.

What is consent management?

Consent management involves systems that allow customers to determine what data they feel comfortable sharing with a business. For example, if your company uses third-party apps, you'll need user consent for cookies. Today’s privacy regulations require you to obtain user consent before collecting and using their data. Unfortunately, many businesses use outdated consent management platforms that no longer meet current requirements.

What is a consent management platform?

A consent management platform (CMP) is a system that helps businesses collect, manage, and enforce user consents for data collection and processing. It ensures compliance with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, and enables users to control their data preferences across various platforms.

Read more: Consent management platform overview

Why is consent management important?

Consent management is crucial for:

• Compliance with Regulations: Meeting GDPR, CCPA, and other data privacy laws and regulations.
• Building Trust: Ensuring customers feel secure about how their data is used.
• Avoiding Legal Penalties: Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and legal issues.

Do I need a consent management platform?‍

Yes, you need a consent management platform if your business collects or processes personal data. It ensures compliance with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, helps manage user data preferences, and builds trust by respecting customer privacy.

Since it is your responsibility as a business to remain compliant and up-to-date, understanding consent management platform requirements is critical. These platforms can help you with a range of content management use cases, ranging from the needs of financial companies to those in the manufacturing industry. 

‍Key requirements of a consent management platform

When it comes to respecting privacy, consent is the first step. Essential requirements for a CMP include:

1. Customer Data Insights: Understanding what data customers are comfortable sharing (e.g., analytics, advertising). A platform like Ketch helps sort through this, ensuring consent preferences are met based on purpose-specific data controls.
2. Cross-Device Privacy Choices: Setting privacy choices across all devices, interactions, and platforms.
3. Enforcing Privacy Choices: Implementing privacy preferences across your data ecosystem. This is also refer to as "consent orchestration".

What is consent orchestration?

Consent orchestration is the process of managing, synchronizing, and maintaining user consents across various platforms and systems within an organization. For a Consent Management Platform (CMP), this is crucial as it ensures that user preferences regarding data privacy and usage are consistently honored, no matter where or how data is collected or processed.

Effective consent orchestration enhances compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, reduces the risk of data breaches, and fosters trust with users by transparently respecting their choices. This systematic approach enables organizations to efficiently handle consent lifecycle management, from collection to withdrawal, ensuring that user data is managed ethically and legally.

Learn more: 3 requirements for effective consent management

Choosing between paid and free consent management platforms

If your website processes visitors' personal data, you need a consent management platform. How do you choose between a paid vs. free option?

The answer depends less on the cost of the platform and more on the features provided. For example, does the platform offer cookie consent, policy management, mobile app consent, privacy requests, etc.? If so, it will give you the support you need from a privacy tool, especially when developed by a company that specializes in privacy compliance and management. 

• Free consent management platform: Suitable for simpler needs with basic compliance functionalities. Ideal for startups or small websites.
• Paid consent management platform: Offer extensive customization, advanced features, detailed analytics, and support for multiple languages and jurisdictions.

Read more: Should I use a free cookie consent banner?

Ketch Free offers comprehensive tools to help you respect consumers' rights to privacy and data dignity , including:

• Future-proof compliance: Supports CCPA/CPRA, GDPR, etc.
• Flexible preference center: Maximizes customer control.
• Pixel-perfect banners: Delivers notices and disclosures across web and mobile applications.
• Quick deployments: Utilizes templates and privacy language.

For more features, opt for higher-tier options designed for enterprises and developers.

‍Read more: Explaining Ketch Free: a free consent management tool for privacy compliance

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Comparing the best consent management platforms

When comparing platforms, consider your business’ present and future goals. Which features matter most to your business based on your present and future goals? When comparing, revert to the requirements listed above.  

Additionally, consider whether you want a standalone consent management platform or an integrated option. Integrated options save time and money by providing a single stack for all needs.

‍Examples:

Ketch

• ‍Features: Collects, implements and enforce privacy choices across all systems, protecting your business and building customer trust. This fast, easy-to-deploy privacy system includes everything needed to deploy responsive, identity-aware consent and personal preference management for your business.‍
• Cost: $0 with Ketch Free

“As an attorney, I find Ketch Consent Management invaluable for making necessary privacy risk adjustments quickly and confidently, without needing extensive technical knowledge. This level of control and ease of use is rare in the market.”

John Dombrowski, Associate General Counsel for Compliance and IP at The RealReal

TrustArc

• ‍Features: Scales global cookie compliance and personalizes customer experiences. Like Ketch, it has some great features and focuses on GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations. However, it does not offer APIs, reducing the level of integration and customization.‍
• Cost: Basic version is free; For more features, you'll need to request a quote. 

OneTrust

• ‍Features: Captures user consent for better personalization and segmentation. While this is a popular consent management software, it won’t enforce consumer privacy choices in downstream systems which puts your compliance and your customers' privacy at risk. ‍
• Cost: Free trial available, then paid plans based on your needs.

Read more: Compare Ketch vs. OneTrust

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What are the key differences between paid and free consent management platforms?

Free consent management platforms typically cater to simpler needs, offering basic compliance functionalities suitable for startups or small websites with straightforward consent collection requirements. However, businesses with more complex needs, such as those operating in multiple jurisdictions or handling sensitive data, might find these solutions lacking in robustness, customization, and support. Paid solutions, including Ketch, not only offer extensive customization and integration options but also provide advanced features like detailed analytics on consent patterns, support for multiple languages and legal jurisdictions, and dedicated customer support. This ensures that organizations can maintain compliance while also aligning with their specific operational and branding needs.

How does a consent management platform integrate with existing data management systems?

Integrating a consent management solution with existing data systems is crucial for ensuring compliance across all points of data collection usage, and retention. Many businesses stop after consent collection, believing that implementing a cookie banner across websites is enough to comply with privacy laws. However, modern laws like California's CCPA require business to enforce people's privacy choices across every business data system and application: everywhere sensitive and personal data lives in the business data ecosystem. These platforms typically require building integrations, such as via APIs and SDKs, allowing them to work within a variety of IT environments, from websites and mobile apps to in-house CRM systems. This integration ensures that consents are managed and respected across the entire data lifecycle, facilitating compliance with data protection laws and enhancing trust with users by respecting their privacy preferences across all platforms. Ketch software includes 1000+ pre-built integrations to common data systems and apps, saving businesses from having to complete development work in-house.

What specific regulations do consent management platforms help businesses comply with?

Consent management platforms are designed to help businesses navigate the complex landscape of global data privacy laws. By enabling organizations to manage user consents effectively, these platforms ensure compliance with key regulations such as the GDPR in Europe, which requires explicit consent for data processing, and the CCPA/CPRA in the United States, which allows consumers to opt-out of the sale of their personal information. Additionally, these platforms are updated to reflect changes in legislation, providing businesses with ongoing compliance support for emerging laws and regulations worldwide.

Can consent management platforms be customized to match a company's branding?

Customization is a significant feature of consent management solutions, allowing businesses to align the consent experience with their brand identity. This goes beyond mere aesthetic adjustments; it extends to customizing the wording of consent messages, the timing and manner in which consent requests are presented, and the overall user journey. Such customization ensures that consent requests are not only legally compliant but also resonate with the brand's voice, enhancing user engagement and trust. Platforms like Ketch offer deep customization options to ensure that consent dialogs and notifications fit seamlessly into the brand's digital presence, reinforcing brand consistency and user confidence.

How does Ketch's consent management platform handle data from minors or sensitive categories?

Managing consent for minors and sensitive data categories requires additional care and compliance measures. Ketch's platform addresses these needs by providing mechanisms for identifying and handling sensitive data categories, such as health information or financial details, with enhanced consent requirements. These features ensure that businesses can manage consents accurately and ethically, respecting user privacy and adhering to stringent legal standards for data protection.

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By following these guidelines and utilizing a robust consent management platform, you can ensure compliance, build trust, and avoid potential legal issues.