ADT Inc., a leading provider of monitored security and interactive home and business automation solutions in the United States and Canada, today announced its intent to lead a new consumer privacy initiative with a coalition of organizations committed to driving the adoption of privacy standards and best practices across the home security industry. The initiative will focus on ensuring the security and home automation industry take a leadership role in protecting consumer privacy. Launched on Data Privacy Day, these efforts build on ADT’s promise to protect what matters most.
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. With considerable growth and technology innovation in the security industry, the prioritization of privacy is higher than ever before.
“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. “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.”
In the coming months, 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 the enhanced privacy and ethical standards for our industry; and
• programs focused on privacy, ethics, and transparency.
Partners in this initiative currently include:
• Security Industry Association (SIA), the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with nearly 900 member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry;
• The Monitoring Association, an internationally recognized, 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 that build consumer confidence in the internet, in part through its IoT Trust Framework; and
• 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. “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.”
ADT is soliciting participation from all other organizations who wish to help drive these objectives. For over 144 years, ADT has been committed to keeping families and homes safe. ADT evolved this mission by extending physical security to cybersecurity for residential customers with Identity Theft Protection, which provides monitoring and support to help customers minimize their risk of identity theft and loss exposure. ADT also offers cybersecurity solutions for enterprise and small businesses, providing monitored and managed commercial solutions that protect customers from multiple vectors of attack, including network, endpoints, servers, and email communications.
ADT is headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., and employs approximately 19,000 people throughout North America.
