LONDON: UK consumer awareness of GDPR has doubled in the past three months as their inboxes fill up with companies requesting permission to continue contacting them – and many are taking the chance to opt out, a new survey shows.
The latest wave of findings from The QT, a consumer confidence and attitude tracking study conducted on a quarterly basis by the7stars media agency, found that 52% now claim to understand the regulation and how it affects them compared with 27% in February.
In addition, the vast majority of consumers (82%) said they have noticed companies asking them to review their data privacy settings.
Attitudes and behaviours are changing as a consequence: 63% of Brits agreed that ‘GDPR is making me question how much data others hold on me’, and 57% said GDPR will make them think twice about giving companies access to their data.
The result has been that two thirds (65%) are taking the opportunity to review the companies who hold their data; 35% indicated they won’t sign up to things they are already a part of when GDPR comes in.
“Consumers look set to use GDPR as a reason to passively spring-clean the relationships they allow brands to have with them, and it indicates that we will need to work much harder to justify why we, as marketers, have access to their personal information,” said Frances Revel of the7stars.
“Transparency will be of increasing importance and no longer will brands capitalise on reams of illegible T&Cs,” she added.
“This represents a watershed moment for brands and media owners. We’re poised to enter a new era where far greater control is being placed in the hands of the consumer.”
The latest wave of findings from The QT, a consumer confidence and attitude tracking study conducted on a quarterly basis by the7stars media agency, found that 52% now claim to understand the regulation and how it affects them compared with 27% in February.
In addition, the vast majority of consumers (82%) said they have noticed companies asking them to review their data privacy settings.
Attitudes and behaviours are changing as a consequence: 63% of Brits agreed that ‘GDPR is making me question how much data others hold on me’, and 57% said GDPR will make them think twice about giving companies access to their data.
The result has been that two thirds (65%) are taking the opportunity to review the companies who hold their data; 35% indicated they won’t sign up to things they are already a part of when GDPR comes in.
“Consumers look set to use GDPR as a reason to passively spring-clean the relationships they allow brands to have with them, and it indicates that we will need to work much harder to justify why we, as marketers, have access to their personal information,” said Frances Revel of the7stars.
“Transparency will be of increasing importance and no longer will brands capitalise on reams of illegible T&Cs,” she added.
“This represents a watershed moment for brands and media owners. We’re poised to enter a new era where far greater control is being placed in the hands of the consumer.”
Sourced from the7stars; additional content by WARC staff
