Commentary

Facebook High On Consumer List For Spying On Users

by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, October 12, 2020

While 85% of Americans surveyed believe at least one major tech company spies on its users, 68% believe Facebook ranks at the top when it comes to spying on its users.

That's according to data pulled from WhistleOut, a search engine that helps consumers compare internet services.

WhistleOut surveyed 1,000 people about their beliefs when it comes to major tech companies and spying practices. The participants, who were age 16 and older, were located in 50 states.

The survey was distributed online via Pollfish.

Some 18% of respondents admitted they have stopped using -- or have deleted -- Facebook due to privacy concerns, and 40% said they have done the same with TikTok.

One in five respondents say the U.S. should ban Facebook, and two in five say the U.S. should ban TikTok. About 53% of American believe TikTok spies on its users.

About 13% of participants believe Instagram should be banned.

More than half of Americans -- 57% -- think at least one tech company should be banned in the U.S. because of privacy concerns, and that the government should intervene.

One thing is certain -- it is widely understood that companies collect data for advertising and marketing purposes, but only 24% of participants believe these companies spy in order to tailor their ads and content to users.

What are other ways that consumers believe tech companies spy on their users? Some 80% of Americans think at least one tech company listens in on their conversations. They believe this because two-thirds of respondents say they were served an ad for a specific product they have talked about, but never searched for online, leading many to conclude that big tech is listening to their conversations.

What companies do consumers think listen in on their users?