Regulatory frameworks like GDPR can be treated as a structural advantage rather than a constraint. Data minimization strategies and pseudonymization allow recommender systems to deliver highly personalized experiences without storing unnecessary personal data, which simultaneously reduces compliance risk and builds user trust. A system designed with privacy by default is more defensible to regulators and more credible to users. For executives, this reframes privacy investment not as a cost center but as a mechanism for sustainable personalization - one that reduces the legal and reputational exposure that comes with over-collecting user data.