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ADT announces new consumer privacy initiative

ADT says the initiative will focus on ensuring the security and home automation industry take a leadership role in protecting consumer privacy.

According to data released in November by market-research firm Harris Poll and public relations firm Finn Partners, data privacy is the most pressing issue for those surveyed, and consumers are looking for companies to be proactive in protecting their data.

“Every day millions of our customers trust us with what they love and cherish the most, including their privacy. That is why our privacy practices are purposefully designed to ensure we continue earning their well-placed trust,” said Jim DeVries, president and CEO, ADT, in a prepared statement. “This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment, as the market leader in home security, to implement high standards for our industry, and as we look at the future of technology and access, align our industry around standards and practices that better protect consumers.” 
  
The firm says the initiative will focus on three key objectives:

• Adopting a set of industry-wide best practices that are customer-centric and drive transparency.

• Working with dealers, partners and other industry organizations on enhanced privacy and ethical standards.

• Programs focused on privacy, ethics and transparency.

Partners in this initiative currently include:

• Security Industry Association (SIA), a trade association for global security solution providers, with nearly 900 member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts.

• The Monitoring Association, a non-profit trade association representing professional monitoring companies.

• Electronic Security Association, the largest trade association in the U.S. representing the electronic security and life safety industry.

• The Internet Society’s Online Trust Alliance, an organization that identifies and promotes security and privacy best practices.

• TrustArc, which provides solutions to manage privacy compliance for the GDPR, CCPA and other global privacy regulations.

“The Security Industry Association is pleased to support this important broad-based effort led by ADT to ensure the privacy of consumers,”  SIA CEO Don Erickson said, also in a statement. “SIA has taken a leading role on privacy issues through its Data Privacy Advisory Board, and we look forward to working with our partners on this project to demonstrate that members of the industry are as committed to protecting data privacy as they are to securing people and property.”