Compliance, Consent & Sensitive Categories

The practice of designing digital content and experiences — websites, emails, PDFs — to be usable by people with disabilities, including visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments, commonly guided by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and, in the U.S., relevant to compliance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

A U.S. federal law establishing requirements for commercial email, including mandatory accurate sender information, a clear and functioning unsubscribe mechanism, and honoring opt-out requests within a defined timeframe.

A Canadian federal law regulating commercial electronic messages, generally requiring express or implied consent before sending commercial email or messages to Canadian recipients, along with clear sender identification and an unsubscribe mechanism.

A California state law granting consumers specific rights over their personal data, including the right to know what data is collected about them, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information.

The systems and processes a company uses to obtain, record, and honor a user's permissions regarding data collection and marketing communications — commonly implemented through a cookie consent banner or preference center on a website.

The visible on-page interface — typically a banner or pop-up — presented to website visitors, informing them about cookie use and allowing them to accept, decline, or customize their consent preferences.

A user interface or experience design intentionally structured to manipulate or trick users into taking an action they wouldn't otherwise choose — such as a deceptively worded checkbox, a hidden unsubscribe link, or a hard-to-find "decline" option next to a prominent "accept."

The privacy principle of collecting only the personal data genuinely necessary for a specific, stated purpose, rather than collecting broadly in case data might be useful later.

A clear, conspicuous statement informing an audience of a material connection relevant to their evaluation of content or a claim — most commonly, that a post is sponsored, or that an influencer has a paid relationship with a brand.

A specific consumer right, established under laws like CCPA, requiring businesses to provide a clear mechanism for consumers to opt out of having their personal information sold or shared with third parties for targeted advertising purposes.

Rules and guidance issued by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission governing truthful advertising, endorsements, and disclosure requirements — covering areas like influencer marketing, testimonials, and substantiation of advertising claims.

A European Union regulation governing the collection, use, storage, and protection of personal data belonging to individuals in the EU, including strict requirements around consent, data access rights, and breach notification.

"Opt-in" refers to a person actively and explicitly agreeing to receive marketing communications or have their data used in a specific way, before it happens. "Opt-out" refers to a system where a person is included by default and must actively choose to be excluded.

Any data that can be used to identify a specific individual, either on its own (a full name, a Social Security number) or in combination with other information (a birthdate combined with a ZIP code).

A classification (originating from Google's search quality guidelines) for content and topics that could significantly impact a person's health, financial stability, safety, or well-being — such as medical, legal, or financial advice.