Better Sharing Transparent Matching UX
Subtitle: How to Design Contact Import and Matching Flows with Clear Consent and User Control
Privacy compliance starts with your backend—but it’s won or lost in your user interface.
If users don’t understand how their contacts are processed, you’re already on thin ice—no matter what your privacy policy says. The user experience of your contact matching feature is a critical component of your overall privacy compliance strategy.
This article shows how to design transparent Find Your Friends flows that earn trust—and stand up to privacy audits, with specific guidance for creating interfaces that balance usability with compliance requirements.
Core Foundation
This article continues from:
Find Your Friends Risk Foundations
Supporting articles:
UX Goals for Contact Matching
Effective contact matching interfaces must balance usability with privacy compliance. These core UX goals serve both purposes:
| Goal | Why It Matters | Implementation Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency | Users must know what data is collected, why, and how it’s used | Use clear, simple language; explain processing in context; avoid legal jargon |
| Control | Users must pick who to match or invite | Implement manual selection; avoid auto-selection; provide clear feedback |
| Consent | Users must affirmatively agree | Use explicit opt-in mechanisms; document consent; avoid bundled consent |
| Reversibility | Users must be able to undo or opt out later | Provide accessible privacy controls; implement deletion options; honor opt-outs |
These goals aren’t just about compliance—they create better user experiences by building trust and setting clear expectations.
Best Practices for Transparent Matching UX
1. Explicit Permission Before Import
The first interaction users have with your contact matching feature sets the tone for the entire experience. This initial permission request is critical for both compliance and trust.
Implementation Guidance:
- Clear Permission Requests
- Ask explicitly before accessing contacts
- Use plain language that explains the purpose (not just “Sync Contacts”)
- Specify exactly what data will be accessed
- Explain how the data will be used
Example Permission Language:
“We’ll help you find people you know by matching selected contacts to existing users. We will only use email addresses for matching and will not store your full address book or use contacts for other purposes.”
Design Considerations:
- Present the permission request before initiating any contact access
- Use visual cues to highlight the importance of the decision
- Provide a “Learn More” option for users who want additional details
- Offer a clear way to decline without penalty
Legal Alignment:
This approach satisfies GDPR requirements for informed consent and CPRA requirements for transparency about data collection.
2. Manual Contact Selection
Allowing users to manually select which contacts to match gives them control over the process and creates a more intentional, privacy-respecting experience.
Implementation Guidance:
- Selection Interface
- Present a scrollable, searchable list of contacts
- Default to zero contacts selected
- Highlight the number selected dynamically
- Provide clear visual feedback for selected contacts
- Include search functionality for large contact lists
Key Principles:
- No pre-checked boxes
- No “select all” defaults
- No automatic selection based on frequency or recency
Example Implementation:
A contact list with individual checkboxes, a search bar at the top, and a counter showing “0 of 500 contacts selected” that updates as users make selections.
User Experience Benefits:
- Reduces accidental over-sharing
- Creates more intentional connections
- Improves the quality of matches
- Builds user confidence in the process
3. Preview Before Matching or Sending
Showing users a preview of their action before it’s finalized creates an opportunity for reflection and reinforces the transparent nature of your process.
Implementation Guidance:
- Preview Content
- Show users which contacts are selected
- Explain what action will be taken (e.g., match only, invite)
- Display any message content that will be sent
- Clarify what happens after the action is taken
Design Approach:
- Present a clear summary screen before final confirmation
- Allow users to edit their selection from the preview
- Use visual hierarchy to highlight the most important information
- Include a prominent “Cancel” or “Back” option
Example Preview Screen:
“You’ve selected 5 contacts to match with existing users. We’ll show you if any of these people are already using [Platform]. We won’t send any messages without your permission.”
Compliance Benefit:
This approach helps satisfy the GDPR principle of transparency and creates evidence of informed user action.
4. Consent Checkbox for Sending Invites
When transitioning from matching to messaging, an explicit consent step is essential for compliance with various marketing and privacy regulations.
Implementation Guidance:
- Consent Mechanism
- Before sending any messages, insert a consent checkbox
- Use clear, specific language about what the user is agreeing to
- Make the checkbox unchecked by default
- Prevent continuation without explicit consent
Example Consent Language:
□ I confirm I have permission to invite these contacts to [Platform].Technical Implementation:
- Validate that the checkbox is checked before enabling the “Send” button
- Log consent with a timestamp and the exact text shown
- Store consent records securely for compliance documentation
- Include the user’s IP address and session information with consent records
Legal Necessity:
This explicit consent step is required for compliance with CASL, PECR, and GDPR when sending electronic marketing messages.
5. Clear Disclosures in the Invite
The content of invitation messages is subject to various marketing regulations and must include specific elements to be compliant.
Implementation Guidance:
Required Elements:
- Sender name (both the platform and the inviting user)
- Clear reason for the message (“[User] invited you to join [Platform]”)
- One-time invite notice
- Prominent opt-out link
- Link to your privacy policy
- Required business information (physical address, etc.)
Example Message Structure:
Subject: [User Name] invited you to join [Platform]
Hi,
[User Name] ([user.email]) has invited you to join [Platform].
[Optional personalized message from user]
[Platform] helps you [brief value proposition].
[Call to action button]
---
Sent on behalf of [User Name] through [Platform].
You received this invitation because [User Name] thought you might be interested.
This is a one-time invitation. If you'd prefer not to receive future invites, [unsubscribe here].
[Company Name]
[Physical Address]
[Privacy Policy Link]Design Considerations:
- Make the opt-out link prominent and easy to find
- Clearly distinguish between the platform and the inviting user
- Use straightforward language that explains the context
- Avoid deceptive subject lines or misleading content
Compliance Alignment:
This approach satisfies requirements under CAN-SPAM, CASL, PECR, and GDPR for commercial electronic messages.
Real-World Example: How Good UX Prevents Privacy Issues
Understanding real-world consequences of poor UX design helps illustrate why these best practices matter.
LinkedIn’s “Add Connections” Lawsuit:
LinkedIn’s contact import feature led to a class-action lawsuit and a $13 million settlement because of several UX failures:
-
What Went Wrong:
- Users didn’t realize reminder emails were being sent to non-responders
- No preview was offered before invites were sent
- No suppression mechanism existed for invitees who didn’t respond
- Multiple reminder emails were sent without separate consent
- The interface obscured the extent of the messaging that would occur
-
Consequences:
- $13 million settlement
- Significant reputation damage
- Required changes to core growth features
- Ongoing compliance monitoring
-
How Better UX Would Have Prevented This:
- Clear disclosure about reminder emails
- Preview of all messages before sending
- Explicit consent for follow-up messages
- Prominent opt-out mechanisms
- Transparent language about message frequency
Key Lesson:
Even well-established companies face significant consequences when their UX doesn’t adequately communicate privacy-impacting features to users.
(Source)
UX Patterns to Avoid
Certain UX patterns create significant legal and reputational risks and should be avoided:
| Pattern | Risk | Better Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-import and match all contacts | No real user choice; violates consent principles | Require manual selection of contacts; explain the process clearly |
| Auto-sending invites without preview | Invisible action creates privacy violation; may violate marketing laws | Show preview of all actions; require explicit confirmation |
| Bundled consent (“By continuing you agree to everything”) | Breach of GDPR consent standards; not specific or granular | Separate consent for different processing activities; clear, specific language |
| No opt-out offered to recipients | Breach of CAN-SPAM, GDPR, CASL; damages sender reputation | Prominent, one-click unsubscribe in all communications |
| Hiding privacy implications in terms of service | Fails transparency requirements; creates trust issues | In-context explanations of privacy implications; clear, simple language |
| Pressuring users with manipulative patterns | Dark patterns violate emerging regulations; damage trust | Neutral, informative interfaces that respect user choice |
Implementation Guidance:
- Conduct regular UX reviews focused specifically on privacy implications
- Test interfaces with privacy-focused user research
- Include privacy expertise in design reviews
- Document design decisions that impact privacy
Summary: Show It, Ask It, Let Users Control It
Effective contact matching UX balances usability with privacy compliance through transparency and control:
| UX Element | Privacy Effect | Business Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent purpose disclosure | Enables informed consent; builds trust | Higher engagement; reduced complaint rate |
| Manual contact selection | Creates freely given consent; improves targeting | Better-quality connections; improved conversion |
| Preview before matching | Avoids surprises; reinforces transparency | Reduced user confusion; stronger trust relationship |
| Explicit invite confirmation | Reduces spam complaints; satisfies marketing laws | Better deliverability; lower regulatory risk |
| Suppression and opt-out support | Future-proofs compliance; respects preferences | Improved sender reputation; sustainable growth |
If users know exactly what will happen—and choose it—you’ve done it right. The most effective contact matching features combine clear communication, meaningful user control, and appropriate privacy safeguards to create experiences that users trust and actively engage with.
Up Next
Next, we’ll cover why surfacing a matched contact and sending an invitation are two legally distinct actions with different compliance requirements.
Or revisit user-controlled matching principles:
The Consent Playbook