Heed the Four Commandments of Privacy (Or Suffer the Consequences)

1. Thou shall not spy on me just because you can. There’s no reason to collect more information than you can use to adequately market to your customers. If you don’t need a birth date or Social Security number, then don’t ask for them.

2. Thou shall erase my data. Don’t excessively hoard customer information, Holtzman writes. “Most of the damage to privacy comes from stored information, and if personal information isn’t retained, then harm can be limited.” While keeping customer information on file for years is par for the course for direct marketers, be reasonable. If the data is too old to use, dispose of it properly.