Privacy opinion polls can be valuable monitors of public perceptions of a range of topics. For a complex issue like online privacy, though, polls are highly limited in the utility of the information they provide to society. Business should work with pollsters to craft studies that better explain the complexities of online privacy and investigate a range of solutions to the issues. Polls do not serve society if they only simplify complex issues in order to make clear (if erroneous) points.
Measurement | Responses | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Online privacy | Privacy on the Internet | 7 | Levels of concern | 30-50% very concerned; 79-83% concerned |
Privacy as ability to personally Control over who gets information | 8 | Degree of importance, risk, comfort level, | 75-84% extremely important; 50% uncomfortable over who gets information; 75% see as a risk | |
Web site sharing information | 6 | Level of concern/comfort/invasion of privacy | 65-89% consider violation of privacy; 50-84% concerned; 92% uncomfortable | |
Privacy as ability to have Control over collection of information | 4 | Degree of importance | 69-74% view as extremely important | |
Privacy: information that can be stolen | 4 | Level of risk or worry | 43-70% worried/extremely worried; 69% see as a risk | |
Government access/monitoring | 4 | Support or oppose | 65-74% oppose | |
Online buying is a threat to privacy | 4 | Level Agreement/ risk | 41-72% agree/extremely agree; 70% see as a risk | |
Cookies are an invasion of privacy | 1 | Level of agreement | 19% agree | |
Right of privacy | 1 | Degree to which is essential | 81% say essential | |
Types of Information collected | Financial records/credit card information | 7 | Level of concern | 64-84% concerned/very concerned |
Web tracking | 5 | Level of comfort/violation | 95% uncomfortable; 43-67% agree is violation | |
Health records | 2 | Level of concern | 47-65% concerned/very concerned | |
Directory info home/phone | 1 | Level of concern | 51-54% very concerned | |
SSN | 1 | Level of concern | 75% very concerned | |
Protection | Govt should pass laws to protect online privacy | 8 | Level of agreement | 57-87% agree |
Current laws protect consumers | 6 | Level of agreement | 38-63% disagree * | |
Violators should be disciplined | 1 | Level of agreement | 94% agree | |
Opt-in | 4 | Support or oppose | 78-88% support* | |
Websites should disclose policies | 1 | Level of agreement | 93% agree | |
Consumer Education better than law | 1 | Level of agreement | 71% agree | |
*increase in disagreement over time |