Most consumers know their personal data is being gathered online. But only 24% trust brands to ethically use that data, according to User Attitudes Towards Privacy, a study released Monday by
Incogni.
Moreover, most consumers believe tech companies should be more regulated. They say:
- Tech companies should be more regulated when handling
private data — 71%
- I am aware of my right to privacy online — 56%
- I know which laws protect my privacy rights —
31%
- Privacy-protection laws in my state are adequate — 27%
- My state government is doing enough to protect my
privacy online — 22%
- The U.S. government is doing enough to protect my privacy online — 20%
There is not
much good news for marketers in the report. One hopeful nugget may be that only a minority of consumers have asked a business to remove their personal data—62% never have, 17% have done so once
and 21% more than once.
Of consumers who have made such requests once, 33% say the data removal was successful, as do 24% who have made these requests more than once. But
31% overall do not know the outcome. However, 45% found the process easy, and 17% found it extremely easy.
Another positive tidbit is that younger consumers -- who will eventually dominate the
market -- trust private companies more, and are more likely to know about private services for removing data.
In general, 52% of consumers say they understand how their personal data is
being collected online. But only 37% have heard of the dreaded "data brokers."
And of those who have, 21% say they know what data brokers do, and 20% understand how brokers
use their personal data.
Of those who do feel they understand what these brokers do, 82% feel tech companies should be more regulated, compared to 73% who don’t know what they
do.
Men are more aware of data brokers than women — at 43% versus 31%. But only 29% of males and 20% of females know of services to help them protect or remove their data, men
being slightly more aware.
Of those who read privacy policies, 49% think personal data is being sold by private companies. Another 26% disagree, while 25% don’t
know.
Another finding is that over 90% have received spam emails, 45% always and 30% often. But few have often experienced personal data breaches.
In
addition, consumers agree fully or partially with these statements:
- I believe I can be targeted by cybercriminals — 70%
- I worry about online safety — 59%
- I read privacy policies before signing up for any service — 39%
- I know what I should do if my
personal information is stolen — 39%
- I generally know what cookie policies say when selecting them while browsing — 39%
- I feel safe online
— 26%
- I think the internet is now safer than it used to be 2 years ago — 26%
“Awareness being so low indicates there
is very little knowledge about cybersecurity and how to act safely online,” concludes concludes Darius Belejevas, head of Incogni. “Teaching girls at a young age about
cybersecurity could help empower women to protect their online privacy and safety,”
Incogni surveyed 2,310 U.S. consumers.