India Consumers Are World’s Most Willing To Trade Privacy

EMC India has released the India and global findings of the EMC Privacy Index, a global study assessing consumer attitudes of online privacy. Spanning 15 countries and 15,000 consumers, the study explores how consumers worldwide view their online privacy rights and measures willingness to forfeit the benefits and conveniences of the connected world for the assurances of privacy.

Three distinct privacy paradoxes emerged from the global results -

1. “We Want it All” Paradox: Consumers say they want all conveniences and benefits of digital technology, yet say they are unwilling to trade privacy to get them
2. “Take No Action” Paradox: Although privacy risks directly impact many consumers, most say they take virtually no special action to protect their privacy – instead placing the onus on those handling their information such as government and businesses
3. “Social Sharing” Paradox: Users of social media sites claim they value privacy, yet they say they freely share large quantities of personal data – despite expressing a lack of confidence and trust in those institutions to protect that information

Key India Findings:

“We Want It All” Paradox

On an average, Indian respondents say they are most willing to trade privacy for the benefits of digital technology:

•  61% of India consumers on average say they are willing to trade privacy for convenience
• Indian women are more unwilling to trade their privacy for convenience. 59% women say they are not willing as compared to only 43% men.

“Take No Action” Paradox

64% of Indian respondents have suffered a data breach (email account hacked; mobile device lost or stolen; social media account hacked; and more.),Yet, many say they are not taking measures to protect themselves:

•  41% don’t change passwords regularly
•  28% don’t have password protection on mobile devices
• 21% don’t read privacy statements
• 21% don’t customize privacy settings on social networks

· Further, 78% Indian respondents listed businesses using, selling or trading personal data for financial gain the top risks to the future of privacy.

· 64% Indian respondents claimed a high degree of confidence in the government in working to protect their privacy

“Social Sharing” Paradox

Use of social media sites continues to explode despite:

A vast majority of Indian consumers, 84% say they don’t like anyone knowing anything about them or their habits unless they make a decision themselves to share that information.

A Stark Privacy Outlook

• The confidence people have in their levels of privacy is degrading over time - Compared to a year ago, 51% Indian respondents feel they have less privacy now
• A large majority of Indian respondents - 59% expect privacy will decrease in the next five years

These findings suggest consumers are likely to engage in more online activities with institutions that demonstrate greater privacy protection. This presents real opportunities that business and governments must not ignore.

The study is instructive for consumers, businesses and technology providers.

•  For consumers it reinforces the need to increase their awareness of privacy issues and to take personal action to protect their own privacy. EMC’s recommendations on steps to improve consumer privacy are shared below.
• For businesses the imperative is to understand the range of customer perception. Winners and losers will be determined by those businesses that demonstrate the most relevant and practical privacy practices for their customers. The more evident it is that a business is committed to privacy protection the more likely it will attract and increase levels of consumer engagement.
• Critical to helping businesses deliver on their commitment to privacy protection are technology providers, which need to find ways to improve privacy across their offerings without compromising user experience, performance or capability.

Men's Sneaker Hub Online