The following data privacy statistics demonstrate trends that should shape business and security priorities:
- 92% of Americans are concerned about their privacy when using the Internet.
- Personal customer information (such as name, email address, and password) is contained in 44% of data breaches.
- 67% of Americans are unaware of their country’s privacy and data protection regulations.
- 71% of Gen-Z users believe that they would not fall for phishing, although only 44% know what phishing is.
- 62% of Americans don’t believe it’s possible to go through their daily lives without companies collecting data about them.
- 76% of users believe that companies should do more to protect their data online
- Only 3% of Americans say they understand how current online privacy laws actually work in America.
- 58% of users say they are willing to share data to avoid paying for online content.
And yet…
- Only 25% of users believe that companies are responsible for their personal data.
- Only 15% believe that companies use their personal data to improve their lives.
These statistics show the impact that data privacy has on corporate trust and why companies should prioritize transparency when it comes to data if they want to gain and maintain the trust of their customers:
- 79% of Americans are concerned about how companies use their data.
- For 88% of users, their willingness to share personal data depends on how much they trust the company.
- 54% of users say it’s harder for companies to earn their trust.
- 63% of users believe that most companies are not transparent about how their data is used.
- 75% of Americans believe there should be more rules to protect their privacy from companies that collect consumer data without their consent or knowledge.
- 60% of users say they would spend more money with a brand they trust to handle their personal data responsibly.
- 84% of users are more loyal to companies with strong security controls.
- 46% of customers said they feel they have lost control of their data.
- 53% of users would try to get their personal data back from a company if they had the opportunity.
- 37% of users say that companies that are transparent about how they collect and use data and are more proactive in ensuring online data privacy reduce their concerns.
- 39% of users would likely abandon a company that required them to provide very personal information.
- Every fifth user always or often reads a company’s privacy policy before agreeing to it.
- 48% of users have stopped buying from a company because of privacy concerns.
- 33% of users have ended their relationship with companies because of data. They left social media companies, internet providers, retailers, credit card providers, and banks or financial institutions.
- 81% of users say the potential risks they face from companies collecting data outweigh the benefits.
- 80.1% of users would have no problem sharing personal data directly with a brand to personalize marketing messages, but only 16.7% would agree to share such information through third parties.
- Most companies see a very positive return on their privacy investments, with over 40% seeing benefits of at least twice their privacy costs.