Why We Keep Forgiving Marriott’s Data Breaches: The Comedic Case of Digital Amnesia
Brand loyalty often leads to digital forgiveness, even after data breaches. Despite the Federal Trade Commission clamping down on Marriott’s data security, customers like me remain loyal. We forgive easily due to emotional investment and risk normalization, allowing brands to sidestep accountability. But this complacency has hidden costs—trust erodes, anxiety rises.
Hot Take:
Marriott, where your data takes a holiday too! Despite being ordered by the FTC to clean up its cybersecurity act, it seems that brand loyalty is the real firewall here. Meanwhile, consumers like me are treating data breaches like a bad plot twist in a Netflix series – expected and quickly forgotten. Is our love for a brand stronger than our fear of identity theft? Absolutely. Because nothing says ‘I trust you’ like repeatedly handing over your personal info to a sieve with a logo.
Key Points:
- The FTC has ordered Marriott to improve its data security strategy after numerous breaches.
- Consumers often forgive brands for data breaches due to strong brand loyalty and risk normalization.
- Persistent complacency from brands can lead to broken trust, heightened anxiety, and erosion of goodwill among customers.
- Practical cybersecurity measures such as multifactor authentication and UTM firewalls can help protect brand reputation.
- Research shows that a majority of consumers would avoid companies that don’t protect their data adequately.