72 Percent of Americans Are Concerned About Their Privacy, Symantec Report Says
According to the 2018 Norton LifeLock Cyber Safety Insights Report, nearly three out of four Americans (72 percent) are more alarmed than ever about their privacy. However, the majority accept certain risks to their online privacy in exchange for convenience (66 percent) and are willing to sell or give away certain personal information, such as their location (55 percent) and internet search history (55 percent), to companies.
In the age of information sharing, control is now at the heart of society’s privacy paradox – from who should have it to what the consequences should be when it is mishandled. In fact, 93 percent of Americans believe it is important to require that companies give customers control of how their personal data is used, while nearly half (49 percent) believe it is absolutely essential. Adequate recourse is also expected when personal information is not protected, with 51 percent of consumers believing it is absolutely essential that companies be required to provide a way for consumers to report misuse of their personal data, or consequently be fined.