Index: Privacy and Security

The Living Library Index – inspired by the Harper’s Index – provides important statistics and highlights global trends in governance innovation. This installment focuses on privacy and security and was originally published in 2014.

Globally

• Percentage of people who feel the Internet is eroding their personal privacy: 56%
• Internet users who feel comfortable sharing personal data with an app: 37%
• Number of users who consider it important to know when an app is gathering information about them: 70%
• How many people in the online world use privacy tools to disguise their identity or location: 28%, or 415 million people
• Country with the highest penetration of general anonymity tools among Internet users: Indonesia, where 42% of users surveyed use proxy servers
• Percentage of China’s online population that disguises their online location to bypass governmental filters: 34%

In the United States

Over the Years

• In 1996, percentage of the American public who were categorized as having “high privacy concerns”: 25%
  • Those with “Medium privacy concerns”: 59%
  • Those who were unconcerned with privacy: 16%
• In 1998, number of computer users concerned about threats to personal privacy: 87%
• In 2001, those who reported “medium to high” privacy concerns: 88%
• Individuals who are unconcerned about privacy: 18% in 1990, down to 10% in 2004
• How many online American adults are more concerned about their privacy in 2014 than they were a year ago, indicating rising privacy concerns: 64%
• Number of respondents in 2012 who believe they have control over their personal information: 35%, downward trend for 7 years
• How many respondents in 2012 continue to perceive privacy and the protection of their personal information as very important or important to the overall trust equation: 78%, upward trend for seven years
• How many consumers in 2013 trust that their bank is committed to ensuring the privacy of their personal information is protected: 35%, down from 48% in 2004

Privacy Concerns and Beliefs

• How many Internet users worry about their privacy online: 92%
  • Those who report that their level of concern has increased from 2013 to 2014: 7 in 10
  • How many are at least sometimes worried when shopping online: 93%, up from 89% in 2012
  • Those who have some concerns when banking online: 90%, up from 86% in 2012
• Number of Internet users who are worried about the amount of personal information about them online: 50%, up from 33% in 2009
  • Those who report that their photograph is available online: 66%
    • Their birthdate: 50%
    • Home address: 30%
    • Cell number: 24%
    • A video: 21%
    • Political affiliation: 20%
• Consumers who are concerned about companies tracking their activities: 58%
  • Those who are concerned about the government tracking their activities: 38%
• How many users surveyed felt that the National Security Association (NSA) overstepped its bounds in light of recent NSA revelations: 44%
• Respondents who are comfortable with advertisers using their web browsing history to tailor advertisements as long as it is not tied to any other personally identifiable information: 36%, up from 29% in 2012
• Percentage of voters who do not want political campaigns to tailor their advertisements based on their interests: 86%
• Percentage of respondents who do not want news tailored to their interests: 56%
• Percentage of users who are worried about their information will be stolen by hackers: 75%
  • Those who are worried about companies tracking their browsing history for targeted advertising: 54%
• How many consumers say they do not trust businesses with their personal information online: 54%
• Top 3 most trusted companies for privacy identified by consumers from across 25 different industries in 2012: American Express, Hewlett Packard and Amazon
  • Most trusted industries for privacy: Healthcare, Consumer Products and Banking
  • Least trusted industries for privacy: Internet and Social Media, Non-Profits and Toys
• Respondents who admit to sharing their personal information with companies they did not trust in 2012 for reasons such as convenience when making a purchase: 63%
• Percentage of users who say they prefer free online services supported by targeted ads: 61%
  • Those who prefer paid online services without targeted ads: 33%
• How many Internet users believe that it is not possible to be completely anonymous online: 59%
  • Those who believe complete online anonymity is still possible: 37%
  • Those who say people should have the ability to use the Internet anonymously: 59%
• Percentage of Internet users who believe that current laws are not good enough in protecting people’s privacy online: 68%
  • Those who believe current laws provide reasonable protection: 24%

Security Related Issues

• How many have had an email or social networking account compromised or taken over without permission: 21%
• Those who have been stalked or harassed online: 12%
• Those who think the federal government should do more to act against identity theft: 74%
• Consumers who agree that they will avoid doing business with companies who they do not believe protect their privacy online: 89%
  • Among 65+ year old consumers: 96%

Privacy-Related Behavior

• How many mobile phone users have decided not to install an app after discovering the amount of information it collects: 54%
• Number of Internet users who have taken steps to remove or mask their digital footprint (including clearing cookies, encrypting emails, and using virtual networks to mask their IP addresses): 86%
• Those who have set their browser to disable cookies: 65%
• Number of users who have not allowed a service to remember their credit card information: 73%
• Those who have chosen to block an app from accessing their location information: 53%
• How many have signed up for a two-step sign-in process: 57%
• Percentage of Gen-X (33-48 year olds) and Millennials (18-32 year olds) who say they never change their passwords or only change them when forced to: 41%
  • How many report using a unique password for each site and service: 4 in 10
  • Those who use the same password everywhere: 7%

Sources

• “2012 Most Trusted Companies for Privacy,” Ponemon Institute, January 28, 2013.
• “Fortinet 2014 Privacy Survey Reveals Gen-X and Millennial Attitudes Surrounding Passwords, Personal Data, Email Snooping and Online Marketing Practices” Fortinet, Feb 24, 2014.
• “Global Privacy Survey 2013,” MEFMobile, 2013.
• “Internet Security Priorities,” Computer and Communications Industry Association, December 20, 2013.
• Kiss, Jemima. “Privacy Tools used by 28% of the online world, research finds,” The Guardian, 21 January 2014.
• Kumaraguru, Ponnurangam, and Lorrie Faith Cranor. “Privacy indexes: a survey of Westin’s studies.” Institute for Software Research International, Carnegie Mellon University, and Carnegie Mellon CyLab. December 2005.
• “Most Trusted Retail Banks for Privacy,” Ponemon Institute, October 10, 2013.
• “TRUSTe 2014 US Consumer Confidence Privacy Report,” TRUSTe, 2014.
• Rainie, Lee, Kiesler, Sara, Kang, Ruogu, and Madden, Mary. “Anonymity, Privacy, and Security Online,” PewResearch Internet Project, September 05, 2013.
• Smith, Aaron and Mary Madden. “Privacy and Data Management on Mobile Devices,” PewResearch Internet Project, September 5, 2012.
• Turow, Joseph, Carpini, Michael, Draper, Nora, and Rowan Howard-Williams. “Americans Roundly Reject Tailored Political Advertising,” Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania.