With concern for online data privacy at an all time high, a survey found that though many say online data privacy is “very important” to them, not everyone is taking necessary steps to protect themselves.
Instsamotor surveyed 1,500 Americans and found:
People say their online data privacy is “very important” to them
- Almost 9 in 10 (87%) say online data privacy is “very important” to them
- More than half of respondents are most concerned about identity theft (51%), followed by someone accessing their financial accounts (27%) and someone using their information to find them in real life (13%)
But relatively unconcerned about the government knowing their personal information
9% of respondents say the government accessing their personal information was their biggest concern regarding online privacy
Most people don’t want their data sold to third parties but not everyone is reading the Terms and Conditions
- More than 3 in 5 (64%) believe tech companies should not sell their data to third parties under any circumstances, while more than a quarter (27%) said “it depends on what they’re selling and to whom”
- 1 in 10 (10%) say they NEVER read the Terms and Conditions when opening new accounts or downloading apps, with 15% saying they usually don’t read them
Many people that use virtual assistants, like Alexa, are concerned that they are always listening
Of respondents using virtual assistants, more than half (54%) are concerned their virtual assistants are always listening, more than a quarter (28%) are not concerned at all
Measures People are Taking (or not taking) to Protect Their Privacy:
- Less than half of respondents change their passwords regularly (41%)
- More than half (62%) display personal information on their social media profiles (birthday, phone number, employers, etc.)
- A little more than a quarter (28%) use a password protector or generator
- Less than 1 in 5 (19%) cover their laptop and cell phone cameras when not in use or use a private browser of VPN (18%)
- More than 1 in 10 (11%) don’t take any of these security measures
Surprisingly, there were no significant differences between Millennials and Gen Xers, or women and men, the survey said.
