Software & Technology Awards 2020

Software & Tech Awards 2020 | 21 PRIVO is the first and leading global industry expert in children’s online privacy, identity, and delegated consent management. We speak to founder, Denise Tayloe, about how education regarding online safety is key. Best Family-Focused Identity Management Solution RIVO provides its customers with end-to-end privacy solutions to safeguard children, helping businesses to either engage safely and legally with minors or to restrict minors’ access, consistent with customer specifications or as required by law for select industries and verticals. As an FTC approved COPPA Safe Harbor since 2004, certifying hundreds of apps, sites, and games that are top performing and well-known kid brands, PRIVO has been developing privacy solutions to empower positive, transparent and secure online relationships between companies, families and schools. Co-Founder & CEO, Denise G. Tayloe, explains that, for many years online privacy has been very little understood or cared about until recently, and that pioneering the marketplace has been the biggest challenge, but also the biggest reward. “When we started, there were no roadmaps on how to protect privacy online, especially when it came to protecting children,” she says. “It was a challenge to communicate the importance of online privacy, but today we’re seeing that both businesses and individuals are really starting to realize how important it is to the future.” This is why the services offered by PRIVO are now becoming essential. In this digital age, children are always online, so protecting them and keeping them safe is a priority. Prior to school closures and lockdowns due to Covid-19, online users under the age of thirteen have become one of the fastest growing digital audiences around the world. Nearly half (46%) of US tweens have a smartphone, with 81% of the world’s children and 92% of US children having an online presence before they turn two. In the wake of COVID-19, kids are near quadrupling digital engagement and screen time so it is essential that companies engage responsibly with youth and their families. “Even with all this engagement, we are still seeing digital services either turning away U13 children and missing an opportunity or have actual knowledge that children U13 have gamed the registration and are using the service which creates risk to children’s online privacy and puts the company in a vulnerable position.” Some of PRIVO’s clients include big names, such Beano, Roald Dahl, Adobe, Jam City, Elf on the Shelf, NASA Optimus Prime Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge, and Crayola, and the firm’s mission it to enable organizations to safely, responsibly, and fully engage with children and families online, as well as to establish the de facto standard for online identity and consent management for minors, advancing a robust privacy preserving global digital ecosystem. “Fostering a privacy preserving digital ecosystem which encourages organizations to safely and responsibly engage with children and families is paramount not just for legal compliance, but for building a strong brand.” Within the competitive landscape, PRIVO has positioned itself as a leader due to its first-mover arrival in the children’s identity market and the breadth of services it can offer. With in-depth expertise having worked with the top kid brands since 2004 as an FTC approved COPPA Safe Harbor, PRIVO now also offers student digital privacy and GDPR compliance. The firm’s IP also sets it apart from the competition. “It’s the driving reason a parent will come to PRIVO directly to register their children’s devices for protection from inappropriate access, profiling and targeted marketing of age-restricted products and services to their children. Parents then have the option to opt into the PiD permissioning platform for online transactions and engagement. This privacy-enhanced identity credential can grow with the child.” In fact, PRIVO’s biggest competition over the years was companies’ fear and abstinence of engaging directly with kids and in-house solutions. Now that it’s hard to ignore kids are everywhere online, companies are ready to engage and a robust solution which PRIVO offers is essential. Despite the turbulent environment mid-pandemic, Denise sees an exciting future ahead for PRIVO, with plans for expansion including launching a global consortium of organizations and a family network to protect minors’ digital identities & access online while fostering responsible, age-intelligent digital engagement. This step will enable PRIVO to educate and empower millions of families, setting the stage for a global standard in good cyber-hygiene. “Our reputation as the leader in children’s online privacy, identity and consent management hinges on our most valuable resource, our people. We’re a diverse, mission-driven team that is passionate about what we do, always learning, teaching and innovating.” Contact: Shauna Leff Company: PRIVO (Privacy Vaults Online, Inc.) Web Address: www.privo.com P Oct20045