• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, January 14, 2016

Many people are willing to share data about themselves with companies in order to obtain free services, but don't always approve of the way that data is handled by the companies that gathered it.

That's one of the conclusions of a new report by the Pew Research Center, which recently conducted a year-long study about privacy attitudes.

"Most Americans see privacy issues in commercial settings as contingent and context-dependent," the study states. "While many Americans are willing to share personal information in exchange for tangible benefits, they are often cautious about disclosing their information and frequently unhappy about what happens to that information once companies have collected it."

For the report, researchers questioned people about whether they would be comfortable sharing data in a variety of contexts.

Among other scenarios, researchers asked survey group respondents as well as focus group participants how they would feel about joining a new, free social media platform in connection with a high school reunion. In that scenario, people were told that they would have to create a profile using their real names and photos, and would receive ads based on their activity on the site.

Most respondents (51%) said that deal would not be acceptable, while one in three (33%) said they were OK with the arrangement. Only 24% of respondents who were 50 and older said the deal would be acceptable.

Here's how one member of the focus group elaborated on the concern raised by the prospect: “Although I understand this scenario is already standard practice, it uses information collected about me in a manner not for my benefit, without my consent."

Researchers also asked people whether it would be acceptable for a grocery store to give out loyalty cards that offered discounts in exchange for the ability to track shopping habits and sell the information to third parties.

Less than half (47%) of respondents said that arrangement would be acceptable, while 32% said it was unacceptable and 20% said it depended on the circumstances.

"I'm not sure what kind of stipulation would be acceptable, but if I had choice and knowledge of what companies would receive the information, I may be OK with it," one focus group participant said.

For the report, researchers last year surveyed 461 U.S. residents and conducted nine focus groups with a total of 80 participants.