Mobile is ‘at the epicentre of masking’

Consumers are 58% more likely to mask their data on mobile than desktop, according to a new report* which also reveals that VPN and private browsing use increase as you move up the earnings scale.

Why data masking matters

Driven by prompted responses, such surveys need to be taken with a pinch of salt – there’s a gap between what people say they do and what they actually bother to do – but it’s clear that brands need to tread carefully in this area. Many consumers are evidently wise to possible consequent uses of their data, whether that’s the impact of dynamic pricing on travel tickets or unwanted ads appearing on loved ones’ devices when they’re shopping for presents.

Key findings 

• In terms of when and why people mask, the most common reason given was to avoid retargeting, with 49% saying they hide their personal data “to get rid of ads tracking them online after they’ve searched for something”.
• Highest earning households are 65% more likely to use a VPN and 69% more likely to adopt private browsing than the lowest. 
• Younger audiences are also more likely to use private browsing – with 41% of 18-24-year-olds and 39% of 25-34-year-olds saying they use incognito mode, versus 22% of the 55+ age group. 
• Over a third (37%) of consumers say they would be less likely to buy from a brand using email or mobile-based cookie alternative IDs. 

Final thought 

With the cookie set to be phased out completely in 2024, some are proposing alternatives based on email addresses or mobile phone numbers, but that approach isn’t going to fly with many consumers. There is “a huge opportunity for advertisers to do things differently,” says Carl White, CEO at Nano Interactive. “An approach that still aims to understand people’s interests and the motivations behind the purchases they make, but without using IDs or profiling them will win the race.”

* Nano Interactive’s Behind the Mask report surveyed 2,000 UK consumers in September 2023 to understand their preferences and drivers around concealing their data in depth.   

Sourced from Nano Interactive