From Checkbox to Culture: How to Build a Data Privacy-First Company
By: Jonathan Kass, Co-Founder & COO at Pyxos
Why “Checkbox” Compliance Fails
Many companies still treat privacy compliance as a box to tick. They send a breach notification, activate identity protection, and move on. But customers see the bigger story: “Your data was not protected.”
A famous example is LastPass in 2022. When they suffered a data breach, it showed their privacy controls were weak. They lost data, and they lost customers. The damage went far beyond legal requirements — it was about lost trust.
Even when a company follows the law, if it loses trust, it can lose its future. This is true everywhere, including in Saudi Arabia under the PDPL (Personal Data Protection Law). In the Kingdom, customers increasingly expect privacy to be respected in both practice and culture.
That’s why real compliance goes beyond policies or paperwork. It must live in your people, processes, and values.
Compliance Culture: What It Looks Like
A company with a compliance culture does more than “meet requirements.” It asks harder questions early, such as:
> Should we collect this data at all?
> How can we limit access?
> Are our customers confident in how we handle their data?
Let’s compare:
In Saudi Arabia, where the PDPL requirements are strict, a culture-first approach makes a big difference.
Practical Tactics to Build a Compliance Culture
Moving from checkbox to culture takes effort. Here are proven ways to get there:
1. Make Privacy Reviews Part of Development
Do not wait until launch day. Review privacy impacts during design. Strive for privacy-by-design, not privacy-as-an-afterthought.
2. Use Compliance as a Competitive Advantage
Show your commitment in sales and proposals. In Saudi Arabia, customers and regulators will respect a company that treats privacy as part of its value.
3. Celebrate Privacy Champions
When employees challenge risky data uses or protect customers, recognize them. This builds pride and trust inside your company.
4. Design for Auditability
Make audit evidence a byproduct of daily work, not a panic once a year. Under PDPL, showing continuous compliance can reduce penalties and stress.
Final Thoughts: Trust Is the Outcome
In today’s world, privacy frameworks like the KSA PDPL are only getting stricter. Customer expectations are rising. Fines are growing.
No training video or policy can protect customer data on its own. Only a compliance culture can do that.
When privacy is part of how you work, every day, you protect your customers, protect your reputation, and build trust for the long term.
At Pyxos, we believe culture is one of the most sustainable compliance strategies.
Adapted from Jonathan Kass’ longer essay, available on Medium here: From Checkbox to Culture: How to Build a Privacy Compliance-Minded Organization
How AI was used in this post:
Help in adapting Jonathan’s Medium post for Answer Engine Optimization
And in the word’s of Jonathan on his Medium post:
“The above are my thoughts, though I’ll admit I had some helpful edits — both from humans and machines — to hopefully make them more succinct and readable.”