A photo of a young businessman in office building at night looking at smartphone, window view, Milan, Italy.
(Garage Isle Coiffure/Getty Images)

Roughly six-in-ten Americans believe it is not possible to go through daily life without having their data collectedA majority of Americans believe their online and offline activities are being tracked and monitored by companies and the authorities with some regularity. Information technology is such a common condition of modern life that roughly six-in-ten U.South. adults say they practise not think it is possible to go through daily life without having data collected about them by companies or the authorities.

Majority of Americans feel as if they have little control over data collected about them by companies and the governmentInformation-driven products and services are often marketed with the potential to save users time and coin or even atomic number 82 to better wellness and well-existence. Still, large shares of U.Southward. adults are not convinced they benefit from this organisation of widespread data gathering. Some 81% of the public say that the potential risks they face because of information collection by companies outweigh the benefits, and 66% say the aforementioned about government information drove. At the same time, a majority of Americans study existence concerned well-nigh the mode their data is being used by companies (79%) or the government (64%). Most as well feel they have niggling or no control over how these entities use their personal information, according to a new survey of U.South. adults by Pew Research Centre that explores how Americans feel nearly the state of privacy in the nation.

Americans' concerns about digital privacy extend to those who collect, store and use their personal information. Additionally, majorities of the public are non confident that corporations are good stewards of the data they collect. For case, 79% of Americans say they are not too or non at all confident that companies will admit mistakes and take responsibility if they misuse or compromise personal information, and 69% report having this same lack of conviction that firms will use their personal information in ways they will exist comfy with.

Several of the queries of this survey focus on public perceptions of what "the government" does related to personal data. For instance, respondents were asked: "As far as you lot know, how much of what you practise online or on your cellphone is being tracked by the regime?" Related questions focused on people's attitudes about the information the government collects almost them.

It is difficult to determine how much personal information the government collects and otherwise tin can admission through individual company records. Administrative government agencies like the IRS, Census Bureau, Postal Service and social welfare departments gather various personal details about people. That includes their tax- and employment-related information, physical attributes if they become a authorities ID, fiscal circumstances if they get benefits from social, housing and employment grooming programs, wellness information if they participate in government health-insurance programs, addresses, household composition, property ownership if they ain houses or cars and educational details if they go educatee loan or grant, for instance. This list is non exhaustive.

Across that, national security organizations similar the National Security Bureau have authorisation to monitor phone traffic and people's movements. With subpoenas or courtroom orders and warrants, police enforcement organizations can typically admission and monitor people's phone and traffic records, health records (including genetic records), online and app browsing, search queries, texts and emails. Users' social media activities and their tech-based social networks are at to the lowest degree at times examined in investigations, according to "transparency reports" released by the companies.

It is important to note, that there are often limitations on the ways government agencies tin share what they know with others, including those in other parts of the government.

There is too a collective sentiment that data security is more elusive today than in the past. When asked whether they think their personal data is less secure, more than secure or about the same equally information technology was five years ago, 70% of adults say their personal data is less secure. Merely 6% report that they believe their data is more secure today than information technology was in the by.

But even as the public expresses worry about various aspects of their digital privacy, many Americans acknowledge that they are not always diligent about paying attending to the privacy policies and terms of service they regularly run into. Fully 97% of Americans say they are ever asked to approve privacy policies, yet only nigh one-in-5 adults overall say they always (9%) or oftentimes (thirteen%) read a company's privacy policy earlier agreeing to information technology. Some 38% of all adults maintain they sometimes read such policies, but 36% say they never read a company's privacy policy before agreeing to it.

About eight-in-ten Americans say they are asked to agree to a privacy policy at least monthly, including one-quarter who say this happens almost every dayMoreover, the exercise of reading privacy policies doesn't necessarily guarantee thoroughness. Among adults who say they ever read privacy policies before agreeing to their terms and conditions, only a minority – 22% – say they read them all the way through before agreeing to their terms and conditions.

There is also a full general lack of understanding virtually data privacy laws among the general public: 63% of Americans say they understand very little or nothing at all near the laws and regulations that are currently in identify to protect their information privacy.

These findings point to an overall wariness about the state of privacy these days, but in that location are some circumstances where the public sees value in this type of information-driven surround. For instance, pluralities of adults say it is acceptable for poorly performing schools to share data about their students with a nonprofit group seeking to help ameliorate educational outcomes or for the regime to collect data about all Americans to appraise who might exist a potential terrorist.

These findings come from a survey of 4,272 U.Due south. adults conducted on Pew Inquiry Center'due south American Trends Panel between June three-17, 2019.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

P revalence of tracking: 72% of Americans report feeling that all, almost all or most of what they exercise online or while using their cellphone is being tracked by advertisers, technology firms or other companies. Another nineteen% recall some of what they do is being tracked. Close to half (47%) of adults believe at to the lowest degree most of their online activities are being tracked by the government.

When it comes to their offline behavior such equally where they are or whom they talk with, 69% believe companies are tracking at least some of that activity. And 56% of Americans think the government is tracking at least some of their activities, similar who they are talking to or their whereabouts.

About half of Americans feel as if they have no control over who can access their online searchesNon feeling in control of personal information: Roughly eight-in-ten or more U.South. adults say they have very piddling or no control over the data that government (84%) or companies (81%) collect near them.

When information technology comes to different kinds of data, the moving-picture show varies by the specific type. While relatively few Americans feel as if they have a lot of control over who has access to everything from their physical location to their social media posts, there are experiences in which some Americans especially experience a lack of control. Roughly half of Americans (48%) say they feel as if they have no control over who tin access the search terms they use, and 41% say the same about the websites they visit. By comparing, a smaller share of the public feels equally if they do non have control over who can access their physical location.

Risks vs. rewards of information collection and profiling: 81% of Americans call up the potential risks of data collection by companies well-nigh them outweigh the benefits, and 66% say the same near regime information collection nearly them. Relatedly, 72% of adults say they personally benefit very piffling or none from visitor data collection almost them, and 76% say this most the benefits they might become from government data drove.

One aim of the data collection done by companies is for the purpose of profiling customers and potentially targeting the sale of goods and services to them based on their traits and habits. This survey finds that 77% of Americans say they have heard or read at least a bit about how companies and other organizations use personal data to offer targeted advertisements or special deals, or to appraise how risky people might exist equally customers. Almost 64% of all adults say they have seen ads or solicitations based on their personal data. And 61% of those who have seen ads based on their personal data say the ads accurately reflect their interests and characteristics at least somewhat well. (That amounts to 39% of all adults.)

Information collection and sharing for specific purposes: Despite their wide concerns about data collection and use past companies and the government, pluralities of U.S. adults say it is acceptable for information to be used in some ways. For case, past a 49%-27% margin, more than Americans detect it acceptable than unacceptable for poorly performing schools to share data well-nigh their students with a nonprofit group seeking to help improve educational outcomes. Similarly, 49% say it is acceptable for government to collect information virtually all Americans to assess who might be a potential terrorist threat. That compares with 31% who feel information technology is unacceptable to collect data from all Americans for that purpose.

On the other hand, more notice it unacceptable than acceptable for social media companies to monitor users' posts for signs of depression so they can identify people who are at risk of self-damage and connect them to counseling services (45% vs. 27%). The aforementioned pattern arises when it comes to companies that make smart speakers sharing audio recordings of customers with law enforcement to assist with criminal investigations: 49% say this it is unacceptable, while 25% find it acceptable.

The public is more evenly divided when it comes to the acceptability of fitness tracking app makers sharing user data with medical researchers to better understand the link between exercise and heart illness.

Americans are more accepting of using personal data to help improve schools or assess potential terrorist threats, but are more wary of some other data uses

Business concern about how information is used: 79% of adults affirm they are very or somewhat concerned most how companies are using the information they collect about them, while 64% say they have the same level of concern well-nigh government data collection.

Separately, Americans have mixed views about which groups business organisation them in getting access to their data: Well-nigh four-in-10 are concerned a lot virtually the personal information social media sites (twoscore%) or advertisers might know about them (39%). But only 9% of Americans worry a lot almost the information family unit and friends might know and 19% take similar concerns about what their employers might know.

Notwithstanding, the bulk of Americans are not confident about the way companies will behave when it comes to using and protecting their personal information. Roughly seven-in-ten or more say they are not too or not at all confident that companies volition admit mistakes and accept responsibility when they misuse or compromise information (79%), will exist held accountable past government if they misuse data (75%), or will use customers' data in means that people would feel comfy with (69%).

Most Americans are not confident that companies would publicly admit to misusing consumers' data

When it comes to data use for specific purposes, Americans take varying views depending on the purpose for the data employ. For example, 57% of adults say they are very or somewhat comfortable with companies using their personal information to help companies meliorate their fraud prevention systems. But they are evenly divide when the outcome is their comfort with companies using their personal information in developing new products. About a third (36%) of adults say they are at least somewhat comfy with companies sharing their personal information with exterior groups doing research that might help them improve society, but a larger share (64%) say they would be uncomfortable with this practice.

Lack of agreement: 78% of U.S. adults say they understand very trivial or nothing about what the regime does with the data it collects, and 59% say the same nearly the data companies collect. Only 6% of adults say they understand a groovy deal what companies do with the information nerveless, and a similar share (4%) say they know a peachy deal almost what the government does with the data.

Some Americans also acknowledge they struggle to understand the privacy laws that govern employ of their data. Roughly six-in-10 Americans (63%) say they accept very little or no understanding of the laws and regulations that are currently in place to protect their privacy. Only 3% of adults say they understand these laws a nifty deal, and 33% say they have some understanding.

How Americans handle privacy policies: Cadre parts of the electric current system of data collection and privacy protection are built on the thought that consumers are given notice about how firms collect and use data and ask for their consent to having their data used that manner. Fully 97% say they are always asked to corroborate privacy policies, still only 1-in-five adults overall say they always (9%) or often (13%) read these policies. Some 38% of U.Due south. adults maintain they sometimes read such policies, and 36% say they never read a company'due south privacy policy before agreeing to it. In all, nigh four-in-10 adults say they empathise privacy policies great bargain (8%) or some (33%).

In addition to the concerns cited above about how companies handle personal information, a majority of Americans (57%) say they are non likewise confident (40%) or non at all confident (17%) companies follow what their privacy policies say they volition do with users' personal data.

Several other key findings in the survey:

  • Roughly iii-in-ten Americans (28%) say they have suffered at least one of three kinds of major identity theft problems in the previous 12 months at the time of the survey: 21% take had someone put fraudulent charges on their credit or debit menu; 8% have had someone take over their social media or electronic mail accounts without their permission; and 6% have had someone try to open a credit line or go a loan using their proper name.
  • A majority of U.S. adults (57%) say they follow privacy news very closely (11%) or somewhat closely (46%).

There are some differences past age on some privacy bug: People in different age groups accept varying views on some key privacy and surveillance problems. Americans ages 65 and older are less likely than those ages xviii to 29 to feel they have control over who can access things like their physical location, purchases fabricated both online and offline and their individual conversations. At the same time, older Americans are less likely to recollect they benefit from information collection: Just 17% of those 65 and older assertive they benefit from the data authorities collects near them, and simply 19% think the aforementioned near data nerveless by companies.

There are as well historic period differences on the issue of how data gets used once obtained. Americans ages 65 and older are more likely than younger adults to say it is acceptable for law enforcement to use customers' genetic data to assist solve crimes, approve data collection to assess terrorist threats, and have smart speaker makers share users' audio recordings in investigations. Past contrast, young adults ages 18 to 29 are more likely than older adults to find acceptable the idea that social media companies monitor users for signs of depression and to allow fettle tracking user data to be shared with medical researchers.

In addition, 2-thirds of adults ages 65 and older say they follow privacy news at to the lowest degree somewhat closely, compared with merely 45% of those 18 to 29 who do the aforementioned.

There are differences past race and ethnicity on some privacy issues: Black Americans are more likely than white Americans to say they believe the government is tracking all or about of what they do online or on their cellphone (60% vs. 43%). Like gaps are present in views about offline activities: 47% of black adults recollect all or almost of their offline activities are tracked by the government, compared with just 19% of white adults.

In addition, black and Hispanic adults are more than likely than white adults to say they are concerned to some degree about what constabulary enforcement officials, employers and family and friends know well-nigh them.

When it comes to identity-theft problems, black adults (20%) are roughly 3 times as likely as their Hispanic (seven%) or white counterparts (half-dozen%) to say someone has taken over their social media or email account in the past yr. Black Americans are also more probable than white and Hispanic adults to say someone attempted to open a line of credit or applied for a loan using their proper name in the past 12 months.

At the same time, white adults too report feeling less control across several data types when compared with black and Hispanic adults. For example, l% of white Americans feel they have control over who tin can access information about their on- and offline purchases, compared with 69% of black adults and 66% of Hispanic adults.

CORRECTION: In the chart, "Majority of Americans feel equally if they accept lilliputian control over data nerveless about them past companies and the authorities," the explanatory text for the findings related to "Risks outweigh benefits" was transcribed incorrectly. The correct text is, "Potential risks of ___ (companies or the government) collecting data well-nigh them outweigh the benefits."