Global perspectives on trust in automakers’ handling of personal data
June 9th, 2023, Hoang Nguyen

Global perspectives on trust in automakers’ handling of personal data

In this era of automotive innovation, the driving experience is being transformed with advancements in built-in navigation, device synchronization and contact storage.

But along with these technologies comes the issue of data privacy and how automakers are handling consumers’ personal data. A new comprehensive survey from YouGov conducted across 18 global markets sheds light on people’s level of trust in relation to handing over their personal data to automotive companies.

The overall global views on the issue are divided, with 41% of consumers globally saying they trust their data with auto companies and 45% saying they distrust these companies with their personal data. But the results provide valuable insights into different perspectives across the world.

Net trust levels reach over 60% in the UAE, India and Indonesia, the highest of all the markets surveyed. Around half of consumers in Mexico (52%) and Australia (50%) also say they trust car companies with their personal data.

When considering levels of distrust, the highest percentages are observed in Hong Kong (61%), followed by Germany (54%), China (52%), the US (52%) and Britain (51%). In fact, British consumers are the least likely to say they trust automakers with their personal data.

Zooming out to consumer trust in other organizations and sectors reveals that trust levels with automotive companies align with those for tech companies (41%) and sports organizations (39%). Banks, at 61%, tend to hold the highest level of trust followed by hotels and airlines with 52%.

Social media companies rank lowest in terms of overall trust (24%) and highest in consumer levels of distrust (67%).


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Photo by Dan Chung on Unsplash