Maintaining your privacy online is a serious task, but also the one that seems nearly impossible as well. The common knowledge is that companies grow their revenue by selling their data to third parties, such as advertisers.
It then fuels another problem – ads. You know by now that “free” products aren’t free. Free is usually overflowing with customized ads.
It is why one of the most impressive things about Zoho is that even after 25 years, it still doesn’t earn a single dollar by selling you out to the advertisers. Compromising your privacy for revenue is not an option with Zoho.
Since all its tools are very affordable (it even offers many free ones!), this might sound unrealistic. So, to clear out any concerns you might have about what happens with your data once it’s in Zoho’s data centres – let’s check Zoho’s stance on privacy and security.
Zoho Means Privacy
Zoho is a fully privately-held company. This arrangement allows it enough leeway on how a company looks at its customers in relation to its revenue.
Typically, investors want to see quick returns and rapid expansion. If recent history has taught us anything, major companies do this by compromising the trust users put in them. It is why GDPR compliance is such a big thing – people want to protect their information. Unfortunately, it took a law to be put in place for this to become a norm.
So, with no investors or shareholders to mandate and dictate the course, Zoho has a rare opportunity to do as it pleases. Luckily for us, it means – Zoho believes its users have the undisputed right to privacy.
Impressively, Zoho decided not to violate its users’ trust throughout its 25 years in business. It still continues with the same policy. Its goal is to grow by having more users of its excellent yet affordable products – without selling any user data to third-party companies, ever.
The fact that Zoho can choose not to do it, doesn’t mean that it completely ignores the law. Zoho has all the obligatory requirements set in place. For example, it has hired a Data Protection Officer and is registered with the Netherlands Data Protection Authority. It also allows you to review and delete all collected data whenever you please.
So, Does Zoho Collect Data?
Zoho does collect the data necessary for providing you with the chosen service. The data it collects is outlined in its privacy policy. It includes, in broad strokes, your name, contact information, email address, and payment information. This data is stored in one of its ten data centers, all of them legally compliant and as secure as possible.
How secure is my data with Zoho?
To quote Zoho itself:
“We have taken steps to implement appropriate administrative, technical & physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, use, modification, disclosure, or destruction of the information you entrust to us.”
In more specific terms, the security involves top-notch antivirus scanning the servers 24/7. It also includes a state of the art firewall protection for hardware. Only a handful of employees have access to your data, and it’s for the sole purpose of providing you with excellent customer support.
The most significant security point for Zoho is 25 years of uncompromised data safety. With Zoho, you’ll never see a single ad while using its products. Your information will be safe within its hidden and secured server vaults. And, you can always rely on it to continue to provide exceptional value at a more than fair price point.
