DUBLIN: Almost three-quarters of people surveyed by Internet security software maker Malwarebytes do not trust governments with their data while almost nine in 10 view companies to be just as shady.
The reported concerns follow developments such as the British government recently demanding Apple give it access to encrypted user data, the bankruptcy of genetics tester 23andMe, and the expanding use of artificial intelligence chatbots, which are reliant on being fed vast amounts of data scraped from the Internet.
According to Malawarebytes, 89% of people asked “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they are “concerned about my personal data being used inappropriately by corporations,” while 72% said they remain “concerned about my personal data being accessed and used inappropriately by the government.”
Another 89% were wary of their data “being used by AI tools without my consent,” while 70% feel “resigned that my personal data is already out there, and I can’t get it back.”
And for almost 80% of those surveyed, many online transactions, such purchases, downloads and the endless creation of new accounts “feel like ploys to take my data.”
“Downloading a mobile game can reveal your location data to countless ad companies, searching for airline tickets on a Mac device can force you into paying higher prices, and buying a car can subject your sex life to data collection,” warned Malwarebytes, which said people with concerns “may have a point.”
Around 40% of people surveyed claimed to have “stopped” using social media such as X/Twitter, TikTok and Instagram because of their worries about how personal information could be misused.
However, data published recently by We Are Social, which tracks Internet use and trends, showed a 4.1% rise in the number of “active social media user identities around the world” over the past 12 months to almost 5.25 billion. – dpa
