Americans are concerned about data privacy, and some feel helpless

Online data privacy has been a topic relevant to the discussion of the internet since the dawn of the medium itself, and the topic has only picked up more steam with each passing year. Recently, the topic of generative AI brands gleaning data off social media networks has brought the issue to the fore again.

But are Americans really worried about their data on the internet and, generally speaking, do they take steps to safeguard it?

YouGov Profiles data reveals that three-fifths of Americans are worried about how much data people have about them on the internet (62%). This panic is constant across demographics – between 61% and 64% of consumers across age groups indicate so, as do 63% of men and 61% of women.

While concerns are widespread, a substantial portion of Americans also seem somewhat unbothered about their privacy when browsing the internet, especially among younger Americans. Two-fifths of those aged 18-34 say they don’t worry too much about privacy when browsing the internet (42%), but this dips to a third of those aged 35-54 (33%) and to just a quarter of older folk (24%). A slightly higher proportion of men (35%) than women (30%) agree with the statement.

While some are unbothered about data privacy, others express a sense of helplessness about how to protect their personal information online. Between 41% and 48% of members across age groups agree with the statement “I don't know how to protect my personal information on the internet anymore”. Interestingly, younger Americans are the most likely demographic to feel this sense of insecurity at 48%, while the difference between men (42%) and women (44%) is modest.

For tech brands and other brands that deal with private information, it presents an opportunity to build consumer trust through crisp, emphatic and transparent communication about how consumer data is collected and used.

Image Credit: Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for the UK is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.