PREVIEW: ‘Allow’ Enables You To Control Your Personal Data Privacy & Marketing Database Information

Written by John Thompson on December 1, 2010 · Filed under Internet 

Cyber security has become a rather large area of concern for many people over the past few years. It seems as though you’re faced with companies left, right and centre all trying to get as much data about you as they can. After all, there are few things more valuable in a century where your data allows tailored adverts on the sites you browse, and personal recommendations on shopping sites across the internet.

Keeping track of who has information about you, and what information they hold, is near impossible to do on your own. When we were told about what a new company called Allow and what they are doing in the market, my interest was immediately piqued.

So what exactly is Allow? Well it’s aimed at helping the public (in other words, YOU) control your personal information held in marketing databases. How does it work? You can sign up at the Allow website, and once you’ve done this you can opt-out of many of the major marketing databases in the UK. This way you aren’t facing a barrage of marketing that you don’t want to receive, and less companies will be holding data about you.

What, therefore, is in it for Allow itself? Surely no company can be founded on the basis that they will work with marketing databases to remove you from records? Although you can indeed do this, there’s another feature that you can take advantage of…

You can actually give your data to companies that you wish to share it with, and choose which data you wish to share, either that you’re happy sharing or information that might be relevant in helping you with future purchases etc. You can make a bit of money by giving companies your data as well, so it’s a win-win situation!

Also, Allow are looking to get some feedback from early users (remember, you can sign up here), and they want you to send any feedback you have to jon.buchan@i-allow.com

Whoever submits the best piece of feedback between now and December 20th will win an iPad, so sign up, manage your data, stop those annoying marketing calls / postal advertising and maybe bag yourself a prize!