Data privacy vexes Americans

Two-thirds of Americans don’t understand what companies are doing with their data, and in any case, almost three-quarters believe they have little or no control over what is being done with it, according to Pew Research Center. 

Why data privacy matters

Data privacy has been an issue for years but is gaining renewed attention in the light of concerns about the impact of AI and how children can be protected on social media. Big tech may touch all aspects of people’s lives, but few trust it. 

Takeaways 

• Three-quarters (77%) have little or no trust in leaders of social media companies to publicly admit mistakes and take responsibility for data misuse.
• A similar proportion (76%) don’t trust leaders of social media companies to not sell personal data to others without consent. 
• Even more are concerned about social media sites knowing personal information about children (89%), advertisers using data about what children do online to target ads at them (85%) and online games tracking what children are doing on them (84%).
• Among those who’ve heard of AI, 81% believe that companies will use it to collect and analyze personal information in ways they’re not comfortable with.
• On the other hand, 61% who’ve heard of AI think that, as companies use it, personal information will be used to make life easier.

Sourced from Pew Research Center