Privacy – Why Worry?
Privacy, once gone, can be impossible to regain.
Using the Internet is an integral part of many people’s lives, and is being used more and more for transmitting and managing sensitive and private information. People are managing their financial details via the Internet, buying and selling goods, transferring money, communicating with loved ones and all sorts of other things involving private information.
For the first time, the Internet allows information transfer and communication on a massive, global scale, and with it come many privacy risks and concerns, both for individuals and corporations.
People want to be able to surf anywhere on the web, without risking necessarily having anyone know where they came from. People want to be able to use their computers and their software, safe in the knowledge that what they’re doing is not being monitored by someone else. Unfortunately, it often is – or at least partly.
Companies are selling their produce and their image online, and trying to gain more customers. Companies are making large databases of private information available to their employees or other divisions of the company, who access them via the Internet. Companies need to gain and retain the trust of their customers, who don’t want to risk losing their private information. A bad breach of privacy could topple many of today’s Internet companies.
Then, there are always those who will try to gain maliciously access to sensitive and private information for their own nefarious reasons – ranging from collecting email addresses for spamming through to illegal use of other’s credit cards.
Privacy Matters
Only two out of every 10 attempts to make purchases online result in a sale. Internet businesses are cutting themselves out of $6.1 billion in sales because online shoppers shun invasive information requests and are wary of giving their credit card information online, among other factors
A.T. Kearney November 2000
Out of a list of eight policy issues, 56% of adults responded that they are “very concerned” about a loss of personal privacy. The category came in second out of the eight, beating out such topics as healthcare, crime and taxes. 57% of respondents that had not bought online in the past year cite two main reasons: fear that their credit card number will be stolen if given online, and concern that their personal information may be abused.
Harris Poll, October 2000
When asked if “people who go online put their privacy at risk,” almost two-thirds (63.6%) of Internet users and more than three-quarters (76.1%) of non-users either agree or strongly agree. 41% of those who infrequently purchase on the Internet report “extreme concerns” about privacy online. 91.2% of Internet users are somewhat concerned or very concerned about credit card security and shopping on the Internet.
The UCLA Internet Report, October 2000
54% of Internet users are very concerned about privacy. 54% of Internet users find tracking of their Internet movements by companies harmful. 86% of users favour “opt in” policies that would require Internet companies to seek permission from users before they disclose personal information.
Pew Internet & American Life Project, August 20, 2000
In a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, Americans ranked the loss of privacy as their number 1 concern about the 21st century.
Wall Street Journal, January 24, 2000
“Your Best Defense Against Big Brother; You”
92% of Net users expressed discomfort about Web sites sharing personal information with other sites.
Business Week/Harris Poll, March 20, 2000
Of all people who have never purchased anything online, 60% cite privacy/security concerns as the main reason. Of those who have access to the Internet and have never bought anything online, 74% cite privacy/security as their main concerns.
Market Facts’ Telenation Study, March 10,2000
Two-thirds of online consumers worry about Web privacy, keeping them from spending $2.8 billion via e-commerce.
Forrester Research, September 1999
According to the Multi-National Consumer privacy survey released by IBM, 79% of women are very concerned about online privacy infringement.
“Consumer Privacy vs. Online Profiling:
nCognito Bridges the Gap”
PRNewswire January 10, 2000
A research study released by Cyber Dialogue, a leading Internet Database Marketing Company found that:
- 60% of online adults still feel that submitting information online is riskier than by telephone.
- Over 1/3 still believe that submitting information online is a direct invasion of privacy.
“Cyber Dialogue Finds Online Privacy Concerns Rising
Between Internet Users and Web Sites”
PRNewswire December 6, 1999
Privacy anxiety affects online behaviour — 48% who have privacy concerns won’t shop online.
Forrester Research, September 1999
96% of Web surfers are nervous about possible online privacy violations.
NetSmart America, a New York-based consumer psychology consulting firm.
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