This year has seen historic numbers of proposed privacy laws, more going into effect next year, and the largest number of authorized agents the privacy landscape has seen thus far. You’ve heard that authorized agents are coming and options like SayMine and Privacy Bee are cropping up, but a new tool by the Innovation Lab is a game-changer. In the past, authorized agents weren’t following the rules, took a shotgun approach, and didn’t have to be treated as compliant requestors. This new generation of agents is relentless in their pursuit and this tool is one more indication that the landscape is changing.

As authorized agents become more sophisticated, the reality of a high volume of requests is ever-increasing for enterprise companies. Most recently, the Innovation Lab launched a testing application called OSIRAA, enabling Data Rights Protocol consortium members to test privacy practices for compliance. DRP is an open standard for submitting data rights requests supported by Consumer Reports and a group of industry partners.

About OSIRAA by the Innovation Lab

OSIRAA, which stands for Open Source Implementers’ Reference of an Authorized Agent, is essentially a protocol for agents to employ to ensure companies can’t deny consumer requests and to enable easier automation. As of right now, it’s not clear if this will get adopted. It is yet to be seen if privacy professionals will utilize this tool, but it would certainly be game-changing if its use becomes widespread.

How OSIRRA Works

The OSIRAA app functions by acting as a consumer agent, simulating API calls to a Privacy Infrastructure Provider (PIP) business to check the accuracy of the results. It can be utilized by businesses wanting to adopt the protocol who are authorized agents as well as privacy infrastructure providers.

Truyo’s Thoughts

Tools of this nature enable a new generation of authorized agents to pave the way for consumers to not only mass submit requests but also discover gaps in privacy practices that could lead to enforcement. These tools are compliant and cannot be ignored. There is significant resistance from corporations to this approach; however, it’s within the realm of possibility that one of the Attorneys General codifies this method in a state privacy law. Currently, there are exploratory conversations around this, but the potential for codification remains.

Consumer Report’s tool is the one to watch because of its audience and reach. They have widespread influence and are clearly committed to enabling this for consumers. We think the implications of this to the privacy world is more important and radical than the GPC settlement with Sephora.

The new generation of agents including Incogni, PrivacyBot, Optery, and in particular Consumer Report, will disrupt the privacy landscape whether we like it or not.

Have questions about automating your request process? Reach out to hello@truyo.com or use this link to schedule a demo of our privacy tool.