Breaking Down Compliance: Consentmo vs. the Latest Shopify Updates

Attention Shopify Store Owners 📢 The recent Winter Edition updates from Shopify have introduced significant changes to the Customer Privacy section, including the relocation of setting options. It's essential to familiarize yourself with these updates to maintain the integrity of your store's privacy settings. So, let's jump right in:

Before Shopify’s Winter Editions Updates, the Shopify Privacy & Compliance app was a distinctive feature in the Shopify App Store, as depicted in the screenshots provided. It was a free tool designed to help merchants manage consent and data sharing, thereby building trust with their online store visitors. Although it offered basic functionalities that were helpful for getting started with privacy and consent management, it fell short in providing the comprehensive features needed for achieving full compliance with the increasingly stringent data protection regulations.
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Shopify Privacy & Compliance app before the changes

After the Shopify Winter Editions, the Privacy & Compliance functionalities have been integrated natively into the Shopify platform.

🧭Navigating the New Configuration

Previously, the path to the customer privacy settings in Shopify was a straightforward journey through the ‘Online Store’ > ‘Preferences’ and then into the ‘Customer Privacy’ section. This familiar route allowed store owners to manage how they handled customer data and set up their privacy protocols. This is what you will see now, when you access the same. You will be forwarded to the Settings menu where you will find the newly added Customer Privacy section:

To adjust your settings with the latest updates, head to your Shopify Admin panel > Settings > Customer Privacy, and then go into the Cookie Banner section. This area permits you to specify which regions can collect data from your visitors, pending their consent via the Cookie Bar in your store.

How to add more locations to the cookie banner for data collection
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⚠️ Important Considerations  

Take note that you will encounter an informational message stating the following:
‍'Some privacy apps can override configured settings and must be managed directly.'

Please, note that this message serves merely as an informative banner. If you're already using the Consentmo app or any other GDPR-compliant app, rest assured, you can proceed with your usual operations seamlessly. These applications, including Consentmo, are crafted to integrate effortlessly with the customer privacy settings in this section, promising a smooth and straightforward experience.

🆚 Consentmo vs. the Customer privacy section

Here’s a direct comparison between the two. What we offer in our free plan:

Consentmo Free Plan:

1. ‍Quick Setup: Streamlined and user-friendly setup process.
2. ‍Cookie Bar + Preferences: Offers a customizable cookie consent bar along with preference settings for visitors.
3. Consent log: Maintains a detailed log of policy acceptances, data subject requests, and deletion requests, providing a clear record for compliance and auditing purposes.
4. Compliance Pages: Provides ready-made pages to help meet compliance requirements.
5. EU Languages Ready: Supports multiple European languages, making it ideal for stores targeting the EU market.
6. Mobile Ready: Ensures compatibility and optimal display on mobile devices.‍
7. Chat Support: Offers direct access to customer support via chat.

Shopify Customer Privacy:

1. Cookie Consent Banner and Preferences: Presents a banner and preferences pop-up to visitors in the EEA and UK, seeking consent for cookies and data collection, with the option for visitors to consent to specific data collection purposes.
2. Data Sale/Sharing Opt-Out Page: Provides a page where visitors can opt-out of data selling or sharing, complying with laws in specific US states (California, Virginia, Connecticut, Utah, and Colorado). This page addresses the legal requirements for online stores to allow visitors to opt out of personal data sales or sharing.

🎯Conclusion

In conclusion, while Shopify’s Winter Editions Updates has refined the Customer Privacy section, making it more integrated and user-friendly, staying on top of compliance requires a robust solution. That's where Consentmo steps in. With its comprehensive suite of features tailored to address every aspect of GDPR and other privacy regulations, Consentmo remains the go-to app for Shopify merchants who aim for excellence in compliance.

For new businesses or those refining their store, Shopify's privacy options provide a basic starting point. However, as you aim to develop your brand and demand more comprehensive solutions, Consentmo offers a more advanced and comprehensive approach to compliance and data privacy, ensuring that your store not only meets but exceeds industry standards.