Americans Remain Suspicious That Their Data Is Being Misused: Study

• by Ray Schultz , May 23, 2019

Americans are concerned about their privacy, and they place little trust in companies that claim they are protecting it, according to a study by nCipher. 

The study, published upon the first anniversary of GDPR, shows that 52% say data privacy is important to them, and 42% claim their chief concern is protecting their data. 

Moreover, 32% say safeguarding their data is as important to them as their own physical protection, and 6% say that only protecting their family is more important (not an encouraging sign of the importance of families).

Worse, consumers are clearly suspicious of companies and their promises.

Of those polled, 64% doubt that firms are transparent about their use of customer data. And 49% simply don’t trust companies to secure their data. In line with that, 44% will not share information under any circumstances.

Only 4% trust brands to fulfill their pledges to not share personal data. And 61% don’t want their data shared. Another 28% say nothing will persuade them to trust firms not to share their information.

Yet 41% have no idea what GDPR stands for, and 33% overall don’t favor GDPR-type laws in the United States.

Of the Republicans polled, 44% say the U.S. should create laws that “fit American needs.” And 27% of Democrats agree.

The largest group — 44% — want the federal government to oversee data privacy. But 32% feel the states should have purview.

The latter is already happening, with 31 states passing laws on the secure disposal of personal information, and at least 12 states that have gone further to protect data, the study notes.

California has passed the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the study shows that 49% of Americans nationwide don’t know what it is. Only 12% nationwide understand that the law, which takes effect next January, requires that even companies located outside the state protect Californians' personal data.

Within the state, 49% of consumers correctly choose the correct definition of the law, but 42% don’t know what is.