• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, October 15, 2025

Marketers should not delude themselves that consumers have faith in their privacy protections. 

Only 14% of consumers fully trust global brands with their identity data, especially in this age of artificial intelligence (AI), according to Bridging The Trust Gap. In The Age of AI, a study by Ping Identity.  

A mere 7% in the study said they have full trust in the organizations that manage their data. And while 44% have at least some trust, 27% have none at all. 

However, 20% said they trust local and regional brands. 

But overall trust is declining, in part because of AI. Of the consumers polled, 75% at least somewhat more concerned about the security of their personal and private information than they were five years ago.

“What’s undeniable across the board is that security concerns surrounding personal and private information are on the rise and have multiplied over the past several years,” the study states. “The AI revolution has only compounded these fears as threats become more advanced, sophisticated, and prevalent.

Of course, it depends on the nature of the brand or service. The least-trusted data source is social media — only 38% have faith in it, while 32% said they trust gambling services and 24% trust online retailers. 

Then there is AI. Consumers have a number of concerns about AI and identity security: 

• Invasion of my personal privacy by AI programs — 27% 
• AI-generated phishing — 27% 
• AI being used to falsely impersonate me or a brand/person that I am engaging with — 26%
• Lack of transparency in how AI systems are using and storing my personal information — 25% 
• Increased cybersecurity risks—threatening the safety of my personal data — 25%
• AI-generated voice cloning — 24% 
• Deepfake impersonations of people I know and trust — 22% 
• AI impersonation via chatbots — 20%
• Lack of accuracy/bias in AI systems — 18%
• I don’t understand what my legal protections are for how AI uses my information — 18% 
• Authorizing AI to work on my behalf — 17% 
• I don’t have any concerns related to AI and identity security—9% 
• Don’t know—13%

In addition, while 48% of the respondents feel sufficiently informed, 52% said they do not.  

Want to avoid trouble? Here’s one tip, the study says: “Add stronger (and more seamless) authentication methods like biometrics, multi-factor authentication, text/email prompts with one-time log-ins, passkeys and more to instill a higher sense of security while preserving a seamless customer experience,” the study says. 

Talker Research surveyed 10,500 consumers between July 28 and August 11, 2025, including 2,000 in the U.S., 2,000 in the U.K., 1,000 in  France, 1,000 in Germany, 1,000 in Australia, 1,000 in Singapore, 500 in India, 500 in Indonesia, 500 in the Netherlands, 500 in Sweden and 500 in UAE.