The lack of privacy protection is a concern that the vast majority of Americans share, whether in the online or offline domain. It's also clear that they are tired of companies building customer profiles and using it to market products to them. According to recent survey results:
- 90% of Americans say they are "concerned about general threats to their privacy"
- 80% of Americans feel they have "lost all control over how companies collect and use their personal information"
- 85% of online users strongly or somewhat disagreed that content providers have the right to resell user information
The issue that people consistently worry about most when going online is the protection of personal privacy. The Graphics, Visualization, and Usability (GVU) Center at Georgia Tech has conducted numerous surveys of online users since the inception of the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1994 to gather information regarding Web demographics, culture, user attitudes, and usage patterns. Some of the recent results it found are:
- 80% of users were very or somewhat concerned about their online security, privacy, and confidentiality
- 70% of respondents strongly or somewhat agreed that there should be new laws protecting online privacy
Furthermore, the lack of online privacy protection is such a concern that it actually acts as a deterrent for those who are considering crossing the digital divide. A recent Harris poll on consumer privacy found that of those who were not online, 70% responded that they would be inclined to start using the Net if "the privacy of [their] personal information and communications would be protected."
-sources: Harris Poll on consumer privacy (1998), GVU Ninth and Tenth Surveys (1997 and 1998)
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