Privacy Mode

Sociable Reviews' Privacy Mode feature allows you to display reviews while protecting the identity of your reviewers. This article explains how Privacy Mode works and how to enable it for your widgets.

What is Privacy Mode?

Privacy Mode is a feature that anonymizes reviews by removing personally identifiable information, while still displaying the valuable review content and ratings. This creates a balance between showing authentic social proof and respecting privacy concerns.

How Privacy Mode Works

When Privacy Mode is enabled:

1. Reviewer Names: Full names are replaced with "Verified Customer".
2. Profile Pictures: Reviewer profile photos are replaced with generic avatars
3. Review Metadata: Other identifying information is hidden
4. Review Content: The actual review text, rating, and date remain visible
5. Source Attribution: The review source (Google, Facebook, or Trustpilot) remains visible

In addition, when Privacy Mode is enabled:

• "Read more" links to the original reviews are removed
• Reviewer names are not clickable
• No personal data is exposed when users interact with the widget

Benefits of Privacy Mode

There are several reasons you might want to enable Privacy Mode:

• GDPR Compliance: Helps meet European privacy regulations by limiting personal data display
• Customer Privacy: Shows respect for your customers' privacy
• Consistent Display: Creates a uniform look for all reviews, regardless of source
• Focus on Content: Draws attention to review content rather than who wrote it
• Anonymity: Some customers might prefer not to have their name and photo displayed on your website

When to Use Privacy Mode

Consider enabling Privacy Mode in these situations:

• If your business operates in regions with strict privacy laws (EU, UK, California, etc.)
• If you want to take extra precautions with customer data
• If your industry deals with sensitive topics where reviewer anonymity is preferred
• If you've received requests from customers to anonymize their reviews

How to Enable Privacy Mode

For New Widgets

When creating a new widget:

1. Navigate to the Sociable Reviews dashboard
2. Follow the widget creation process
3. In the "Options" section, check the "Privacy Mode" checkbox
4. Complete the widget creation process

For Existing Widgets

To enable Privacy Mode for an existing widget:

1. Go to the Sociable Reviews dashboard
2. Locate the widget in your list
3. Delete the widget and create a new one with Privacy Mode enabled
4. Add the new widget ID to your theme

FAQs About Privacy Mode

Does Privacy Mode affect my review ratings?

No, Privacy Mode only changes how reviewer information is displayed. Ratings, review text, and overall statistics remain unchanged.

Will enabling Privacy Mode remove all personally identifiable information?

Privacy Mode removes names and profile pictures from the display. However, if a reviewer has included personal information within their review text, that information will still be visible. We recommend contacting the original review platform if you need to remove sensitive information from the review content itself.

Can I toggle Privacy Mode on and off?

Currently, Privacy Mode is set when a widget is created. If you wish to change this setting, you'll need to create a new widget with your preferred Privacy Mode setting.

Does Privacy Mode affect SEO?

Privacy Mode doesn't affect how search engines interpret your reviews. The review content is still fully visible and contributes to your site's content in the same way as non-anonymized reviews.

Is Privacy Mode required for GDPR compliance?

While Privacy Mode helps with privacy compliance, it's not a complete solution for GDPR. Please see our GDPR Compliance guide for more information on your responsibilities as a merchant.