Embedding Trust: The Potential of Privacy by Design for Inclusive Finance

As an introduction to Privacy by Design (PbD) in inclusive finance, this report identifies gaps and barriers for fintechs in applying PbD approaches in emerging and developing economies.

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AUTHOR

Alex Rizzi

Topics

Consumer privacy risks have proliferated in the last decade in parallel with the increased adoption of digital technologies and the availability of consumer data. The great onboarding onto digital finance necessitated by COVID-19 also opened up vulnerable consumers to data misuse through scams in markets like the Philippines, Kenya, and India, among many others. Privacy violations can also have serious long-term consequences for financial inclusion and, even as access has improved, trust remains a critical ingredient in translating that progress into sustainable gains for consumers.

Evidence shows that when consumers fall prey to privacy-related harms, the loss of trust dissuades them from the opportunities afforded by digital finance. Privacy implications not only affect consumers but also impact businesses. While compliance with new data protection regulations has brought stronger safeguards, the rapid speed at which consumer data is collected, used, and shared in digital finance has far outpaced consumers’ understanding. For low-income digital financial consumers, the limits of informed consent and choice are even starker.

This report is intended to be an introduction to Privacy by Design (PbD) and to review the main PbD approaches in literature and wider market practice for their potential applications in the inclusive finance sector. The analysis is based on a literature review and key informant interviews with privacy and inclusive finance experts conducted by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) between May and August 2022. The paper groups findings into four approaches to PbD, each of which attempts to embed privacy through different means, often by combining various tools, methods, and areas of application. The paper also identifies a series of gaps and barriers that limit the potential of PbD, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies. The report closes with considerations for the adaption of PbD for fintechs working with low-income and vulnerable consumers. CFI aims to build off this initial report to develop practical guidance on PbD for fintech product teams.

Authors

Alex Rizzi

Former Senior Research Director, Consumer Data Opportunities and Risks

During her time at CFI from 2012-2024, Alex was an advocate for consumer protection and evidence-based inclusive finance practices.

She managed the responsible data practices research portfolio at CFI which focuses on opportunities and risks for low-income consumers from data-driven financial services. Previously, she was a senior director for CFI’s Smart Campaign initiative, where she managed consumer-protection learning agendas and helped launch the Client Protection Certification Program. She has participated in multiple industry working groups on responsible finance, including an advisory group to GSMA’s mobile money certification program and the Microfinance Center’s social performance fund steering committee.

Alex is a graduate of Princeton University and holds a master’s degree from Georgetown’s foreign service school, as well as a certificate in digital money from the Digital Frontiers Institute and The Fletcher School at Tufts University.