Most US consumers do not trust companies to handle their
personal information properly according to a report released
yesterday by researchers Harris Interactive. However, independent
verification of privacy policies would satisfy almost 62% of
consumers and 84% think such verification should be "a requirement"
for companies today.
The top three consumer concerns were that companies would
provide their information to other companies without permission
(75%); that their transactions may not be secure (70%); or that
hackers could steal their personal data (69%).
According to the survey, a company having its privacy practices
verified by a third party would lead 91% of consumers to do more
business with it. More than half of consumers said that if they
were confident that a company whether off-line or
on-line really followed its privacy policies, they would be
likely to recommend that company to friends and family.
The survey, which was backed by Ernst & Young, was conducted
on-line in November 2001 and interviewed 1,529 adults aged 18 or
over.
