- Over half of people (56%) state they've been put off a service because of the information they've been asked to share
- Three quarters (76%) confirm they worry about how much data online services collect from them
- But nearly half (45%) of 18-24 year olds have confessed to reading someone's messages without permission
A year after Edward Snowden's famous NSA leaks, a study by file-transfer service, WeTransfer, finds that data capture continues to be top of Americans' minds. People are increasingly concerned about how companies are using data that they freely share online, yet they are quite comfortable snooping on others both on and offline.
The study showed that:
Three quarters (72%) are worried about what companies do with that information;
Nearly 3 in 5 (57%) Americans see data collection as an invasion of their privacy;
A third (33%) are equally as worried about what kind of information companies are selling on as they are 'annoyed' someone is making a profit out of them.
Meanwhile, Snowden's influence has been profound, as:
A quarter (23%) see having to share their data as restricting their freedom;
Americans remain concerned about governmental monitoring, as a third (31%) voice their concerns; and
More than a fifth (22%) state they wouldn't use a service if it sold on their information. Having said that, 10% said they wouldn't mind if they see a kick back and receive part of the profits.
Yet, it's one rule for big business and another for us. According to the report, many of us are natural snoopers, and social media has helped to facilitate our inquisitiveness. In spite of our concerns about what information companies have on us and sell, we as individuals are still happy to snoop on other people.
In fact, nearly half (45%) of people who've grown up in an era of social media and text messaging (18-24 year olds) have confessed to reading messages without permission, compared to only a tenth (8%) of over 55s. Women are the more curious sex, as 27% confess to reading messages without permission, compared to just over a sixth of men (18%).
Founder and CEO of WeTransfer, Bas Beerens said: "It's been a year since the Edward Snowden leaks and there's been a constant stream of new stories revealing aspects of snooping, phone hacking and data collection ever since. It's therefore no surprise that consumers are worried about their data, how it's being used and where it ends up. As a result, it's crucial for the tech industry to regain the trust of the people who use their services, and to redefine the use of data in the digital age.
"At WeTransfer there's no requirement to give away tons of data or spend time filling in forms; you can transfer files online straight away with the click of a button. Trust is key, and we can happily say we are used by governments, royalty and other institutions. Our continued growth reflects the success of this approach."
www.wetransfer.com
