An upcoming report says that while 70% of online consumers say that they’re worried about their privacy, there’s very little they’re willing to do about it themselves. According to a New York Times article, a report to be released today by Jupiter Research shows that both consumers and businesses are particularly lax when it comes to protecting their own privacy.
Although 70 percent of online consumers say they are worried about online privacy, the study found, just 40 percent read Web site privacy statements, and 82 percent would give personal information to new shopping sites in exchange for a chance to win $100 in a sweepstakes.
The business attitudes toward online privacy are slightly more difficult to quantify, but Rob Leathern, who wrote the Jupiter report, said that most companies budgeted less than $40,000 annually for online privacy initiatives.
Mr. Leathern added that consumers would be more likely to take responsibility for their own privacy concerns if businesses made it easier for them to do so. The article goes on to discuss the slow adoption of privacy protection methods by companies, and suggests that despite many companies’ good efforts, their competitors are still unwilling to follow suit. The good news, according to the article, is that privacy-conscious companies such as Zero Knowledge foresee an inreased awareness of privacy concerns over the next couple of years.
You can read the article in full at the New York Times’ Web site. A free subscription is required.
The Mac Observer Spin:
It’s not the most difficult thing in the world to click a link or two to view a privacy policy. The fact that your average customer is not spoon-fed ways to take care of their privacy online is still not an excuse. It’s certainly not impossible, so if you’re bothered by the way companies manage your information it’s time to do something about it. The more valued customers who write or call and express their concern directly to the company, the more likely they are to take notice and start doing something.