PrivacyGrader - Free Data & Disclosure Assessment Tool
With the increasing complexity of data privacy regulations, a new resource known as PrivacyGrader is available to assist organizations in ensuring they are adhering to best practices.
This tool was developed by Tom Chavez and Vivek Vaidya, as an initiative of their new venture, Ketch, which focuses on data compliance and security solutions. (Chavez and Vaidya are also the founders of the super{set} startup studio, with Ketch being one of its portfolio companies.)
Chavez explained that while these issues have been a concern for some time, the current environment in 2020 makes addressing them a critical necessity for businesses, unlike the situation a decade prior.
To utilize PrivacyGrader, users must authenticate their email address with a domain associated with the website they wish to evaluate, preventing analysis of competitor sites.
Following email and request verification, Vaidya stated that a comprehensive analysis, scoring the site based on over 50 criteria – including tracking mechanisms, personal data handling, and adherence to regulations like GDPR and CCPA – should be delivered within 24 hours.
As an illustration, Chavez and Vaidya shared a PrivacyGrader assessment of TechCrunch, which received a score of 56% overall (Chavez confirmed this result is consistent with their general findings). The report detailed the privacy experience for users in various geographic locations and highlighted areas for potential improvement.
Chavez clarified that the tool is intended to initiate, not conclude, a company’s privacy assessment, providing a broad overview to guide product and legal teams in prioritizing their efforts.
He described the scores as “an X-ray, not an MRI,” meaning they offer indicative insights rather than definitive conclusions, but illuminate important aspects of privacy performance.
Chavez and Vaidya anticipate that organizations utilizing PrivacyGrader may subsequently explore Ketch’s commercial offerings for more in-depth support, but Vaidya affirmed their commitment to ongoing development of the free service, considering it a core product.
Several companies have already benefited from PrivacyGrader, including Patreon, The Home Depot, and Chubbies. For instance, Priya Sanger, Deputy Legal Counsel at Patreon, noted that the service “helped us identify improved data governance in order to effectively execute our marketing and sales strategy.”
