FTC: Consumer Privacy Comments Concerning The Center For Democracy And Technology --P954807
CENTER FOR 1634 Eye Street, NW Suite 1100 Secretary Re: Addendum to Comment #48 Consumer Privacy 1997 -- P954807 CDT SURVEY ON CONSUMERS' ONLINE PRIVACY CONCERNS In response to the Federal Trade Commission's questions regarding consumers' online privacy concerns and perceptions of the capacity of technological tools to address them, CDT commenced an initial, informal online survey of Internet users' privacy concerns. Despite its small sample size and informal nature, the CDT survey is valuable for the insight it provides into users' perspectives, which are consistent with the findings of other surveys.1 On behalf of CDT and the individuals who participated in the survey we submit the following summary. Findings The CDT online privacy survey reveals that users have a great deal of concern for their privacy and feel personal information is vulnerable on the Internet. The survey uncovered a wide range of privacy concerns and equally diverse efforts to address them:
________________________________________ 1 See: Privacy and American Business' Consumer Privacy Surveys Reports 1995; Equifax-Harris Mid-Decade Consumer Privacy Survey 1995; Equifax-Harris Consumer Privacy Survey 1996 (http://www.equifax.com/consumer/parchive/svry96/survy96a.html); Graphic, Visualization, & Usability Center's (GVU) 5th WWW User Survey (http://www.cc.gatech.edu/gvu/user_surveys/survey-04-1996/); and recent eTRUST Internet Privacy Study (http://www.etrust.org/press/article003.html).
Users' responses appear to reflect a growing concern with the collection of personal information. Despite their privacy concerns, relatively few of the individuals responding to the survey are taking advantage of available technology-based measures to protect it. Common responses to perceived threats to privacy included avoiding sites that make information requests and providing false information. Users with children displayed a particular emphasis on non-Internet-specific means of protecting online privacy. Perhaps as a result of a lack of public education, users feel safer employing "low-tech" methods of protecting their privacy -- for instance, one woman reported that she talks to her child about online safety in the same way she warns her child not to talk with strangers. Relatively few respondents use technical measures to protect their children's privacy -- either through filtering programs or subscribing to an online service geared towards children. Resorting to low-tech privacy protections -- such as limiting children's access and avoiding sites that request information -- may interfere with individuals' ability to benefit from the information, services and activities offered on the Internet. This may prove particularly troubling as more and more activities of daily life move online. Some users wrote that they would take advantage of software designed to protect their privacy, but were unaware of what tools existed or how to use such software. These findings highlight the need for effective public education to accompany the development and implementation of new, Internet-specific solutions designed to preserve and enhance individual privacy online. In conclusion, users are clearly concerned about their online privacy, so much so that they are curtailing their and their children's online activities. Survey responses demonstrate that individuals are looking for methods to protect their privacy and are willing to make use of available methods provided they are brought to their attention. Until policies and technical tools are made available and brought to the attention of users through effective public education individuals will take steps to protect their and their children's privacy that may diminish their ability to fully take advantage of the Internet's resources. Sincerely, Jerry Berman Deirdre Mulligan attachments:
CENTER FOR CDT Privacy Survey Are you concerned about your privacy? 1. Do you avoid engaging in the following activities on the Internet because you are concerned about your privacy? Check all that apply:
2. Did you check into your online service providers terms of service before signing up to see if they had rules to protect your privacy?
3. If you did check, did they have rules?
4. If web sites had privacy policies, would you want to know what they were?
Why do you care about privacy on the Internet? 5. I care about privacy on the Internet because:
6. If your privacy was violated on the Internet, please elaborate:
Are you concerned enough to do something to protect your privacy? 7. What steps are you taking to protect your privacy online?
8. If you use the "Anonymizer", do you use it:
9. If you use an anonymous remailer, do you use it:
If you have kids in your home, are you taking steps to protect their privacy online? 10. To protect my kids' privacy online, I:
In your opinion, what is the most pressing privacy issue on the Internet?
Submit my responses! I screwed up, let me start over. __________________________________________________________________________ [CDT Privacy Issues] [CDT Home Page] CDT Privacy Survey Results CDT Privacy Survey Total Responses:596 Are you concerned about your privacy? 1. Do you avoid engaging in the following activities on the Internet because you are concerned about your privacy?
2. Did you check into your online service providers terms of service before signing up to see if they had rules to protect your privacy?
3. If you did check, did they have rules?
4. If web sites had privacy policies, would you want to know what they were?
Why do you care about privacy on the Internet? 5. I care about privacy on the Internet because:
Are you concerned enough to do something to protect your privacy? 7. What steps are you taking to protect your privacy online?
8. If you use the "Anonymizer", do you use it.
9. If you use an anonymous remailer, do you use it:
If you have kids in your home, are you taking steps to protect their privacy online? 10. To protect my kids' privacy online, I:
In your opinion, what is the most pressing privacy issue on the Internet?
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