• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, February 18, 2014

According to a recent Harris Poll, 48% of American adults trust the federal government to handle personal information privately and securely, down from 54% in 2009. Trust in the federal government is highest among those ages 18-34 years old, and lowest among those 55 and older,

This puts the federal government well behind health providers (79%), major online retailers (74%), and banks/brokerage companies (68%), slightly behind small and/or independent online retailers (55%), and on par with state and local governments (52%), and search and portal sites (49%) in terms of American's trust in their handling of personal information in a properly confidential and secure manner. Social networking sites are well behind the federal government, at 28%.

Trusting Organizations To Handle Personal Information
How much trust do you have in each of the following to handle your personally identified information in a properly confidential and secure manner (Base: U.S. adults)
Organization	Trust (net)	A Great Deal of Trust	Some Trust	Don't Trust (net)
Health providers, such as doctors and hospitals	79%	30%	49%	21%
Major online retailers (e.g., Amazon, eBay)	74	22	52	26
Banks and brokerage companies	68	21	47	32
Small and/or independent online retailers	55	6	49	45
State and local governments	52	12	40	48
Search and Portal sites (e.g., Google, Yahoo!)	49	9	40	51
The federal government	48	12	37	52
Social networking	28	5	23	72
Source: Harris Poll, February 2014

It is perhaps not surprising that the vast majority of Americans, (88%), see cyber-criminals as a threat to their privacy, making this group the top threat among all those tested. Social networking sites are the next strongest perceived threat, with 70% perceiving such sites as threats to their privacy, says the report.

What may be more surprising is that the majority of Americans also feel their privacy is threatened by both government agencies (60% federal, 56% state/local), and camera-equipped devices in the hands of their fellow Americans (63% wearable tech devices, 59% phones).

When asked specifically which represents the greatest threat to their privacy, 28% point to the federal government as the greatest threat to their privacy, with men over 50% more likely than women to do so, and a small percentage of Americans (8%), perceive their fellow Americans with access to camera-equipped devices (such as phones or wearable technology) as the greatest threat to their privacy, a sentiment that is roughly twice as pronounced among 18-34 year olds.

Harris Poll President, Mike de Vere, says that “… even within the context of recent reports exposing widespread and previously secret government surveillance programs… (the report noted) that nearly three in ten Americans perceive the federal government as a greater threat to their privacy than cyber-criminals…"

Greatest Perceived Threat To Your Privacy
"Of the following, which do you feel represents the greatest threat to your privacy?" (Base: U.S. adults)
	2013 Total	Age				Gender
Threat		18-34	35-44	45-54	55+	Male	Female
Cyber-criminals	64%	58%	67%	69%	64%	58%	69%
The federal government	28	29	26	26	29	35	22
My fellow Americans with access to camera-equipped devices	8	12	6	6	7	7	9
Source: Harris Poll, February 2014

After reading a description about the upcoming Google Glass product, 61% of Americans think devices like this will take some getting used to but will eventually become more mainstream, much like cell phones, while 33% don't think there will be much interest in devices like this.

But regardless of how Americans feel about whether such devices will find a market, many have concerns about the dangers they could represent. 79% of Americans worry that devices like this are dangerous, in that they will cause hazardous driver and pedestrian distractions, with this fear resonating most strongly among women (85%, vs. 73% among men).

Reflecting privacy concerns, given such devices' ability to surreptitiously capture and share photos, video and audio files, 67% of Americans would be uncomfortable with anyone having such a device in their vicinity, while 51% would be comfortable with even someone they know well and trust doing so. Women are especially sensitive on this topic.

Americans appear conflicted in how they see corporate America, says the report. 75% agree that consumers have lost all control over how personal information is collected and used by companies; 64% agree that most businesses handle the personal information they collect about consumers in a proper and confidential way. 49% believe that existing laws and organizational practices provide a reasonable level of protection for consumer privacy today.

Looking specifically at online data collection practices, 56% of Americans are not comfortable with the practice of websites using information about a person's online activity to customize website content, says the report. A generational divide of sorts appears to be at work though, with those under 45 considerably less likely to express discomfort with this than those 45 and older.

For more information from Harris Interactive, please visit here.