Livingston

Dec
17
2007

Report: Privacy Issue a Red Herring

It turns out that though we like to make a fuss about privacy, Americans really don’t care.  In a fascinating report that comes on the heels of the Facebook Beacon quagmire, the latest Pew/Internet study, “Digital Footprints,” reveals that Americans aren’t monitoring their online identities frequently. Thus the privacy issue may be a red herring.

From the executive summary:

Internet users are becoming more aware of their digital footprint; 47% have searched for information about themselves online, up from just 22% five years ago. However, few monitor their online presence with great regularity. Just 3% of self-searchers report that they make a regular habit of it and 74% have checked up on their digital footprints only once or twice.

Ironically, Seth Godin’s words last week are now backed with hard research.  “There’s been a lot of noise about privacy over the last decade, but what most pundits miss is that most people don’t care about privacy, not at all… What people care about is being surprised.”

footstepsIn the wake of Beacon, these words ring true.  We don’t want to see our information used in ways that are unexpected. Eighty-five percent of adults say it is “very important” to control who has access to their personal information (Image credit: cash_me_if_u_can).

Beacon violated these expectations, and as a result Facebook took a big hit.  But, it does mean that if expectations are clear and stated up front, consumers will allow their information to be shared freely. 

Technology marketers must be thrilled about this now proven lack of concern on privacy.  This eases the adoption of data intense applications like location based services, new semantic web technologies as well as initiatives like open identity. They keys to success for companies using identity data is to clearly communicate information usage, garner permission, and follow through on their commitments.

Hidden Treasures

The report is chock-full of fascinating data: 

  • People are definitely researching each other online. Fifty three percent of adult internet users said they had looked for information connected to family, friends, romantic interests and business colleagues.
  • More Gen Yers are online, but older adults have transparent online identities. Approximately 55% of online teens have created an online profile, most of which are restricted (40% visible). Adults, are at 20%, but in a more transparent way (60% visible).
  • Only 28% of adults say it is “very important” to not be monitored at work.  So much for Big Brother fears.
  • Interestingly enough, 68% of professional online identities monitor their image online
  • There’s a great discourse on identity’s moving digital footprint as caused by Web 2.0 technologies. “..most [Internet Users]  have not experienced the sometimes messy work-in-progress norms being
    hashed out by those who are heavily invested in social media.”

Ahh, yes, the fine realities of having critical discourse through social media channels. It’ll be interesting to see how Internet users react to widespread user-generated comments about people.  Will the value of social media commentary decrease or increase?

Previous Posts: Opening Identity

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by Geoff Livingston | Internet Marketing |

6 Responses to “Report: Privacy Issue a Red Herring”

  • Technotheory.com - Facebook Beacon: opt-out is a cop out, and how their users don’t understand Says:

    December 17th, 2007 at 12:01 pm

    [...] this past month when it harped on the Facebook Beacon privacy issue.  But I must sadly agree that most Facebook users have no idea about the severity of this issue.  It bothers me to no end [...]

  • Who Benefits from Public Ambivalence About Online Privacy? - Managing Technology - Dennis McDonald's Blog Says:

    December 17th, 2007 at 3:18 pm

    Kramer auto Pingback[...] Dennis D. McDonaldEven if it’s true that most people don’t really care about online privacy,  things will change when the mainstream media start publicizing cases of pain and loss where [...]

  • Jim Storer Says:

    December 17th, 2007 at 5:01 pm

    I agree with Dennis here… it’s not that people don’t “care” about privacy, it’s that they don’t yet “know” how they could be exploited with the information they share online. FB Beacon certainly became a lightning rod for criticism because they were using info in an unexpected way, but it’s only a matter of time before more and more individuals are compromised by an ever increasing misuse of user data.

    Apparently 65% of internet users don’t know that info to the right and top of the Google search results are paid ads. This points to the fact that a very large (scary, in fact) percentage of internet users are still just getting their feet wet on the internet. Perhaps the vast majority of the respondents to the Pew survey came from this pool and the results reflect naivety vs reality?

  • Geoff Livingston Says:

    December 17th, 2007 at 10:42 pm

    @Jim How about don’t ask, don’t tell? I think we are intentionally ignorant so we can be outraged when appropriate.

  • links for 2007-12-18 | stuart henshall Says:

    December 18th, 2007 at 4:21 am

    [...] Report: Privacy Issue a Red Herring Geoff Livingston also points to the Pew Report and says we don’t care about privacy rather we don’t want to be surpirsed. I think it is more about who controls the data in the end. You or some organization (s). Where is power? Who has it? (tags: privacy pew research) [...]

  • Blogger Outreach, in Plain English (and Other PR Blog Jots) - Media Bullseye Says:

    December 18th, 2007 at 9:59 am

    Kramer auto Pingback[...] Does Anyone Really Care About Privacy?The Buzz BinIt was a pleasure to meet Geoff Livingston in person this morning at the fourth Social Media Breakfast; he gave a great talk about the differences between audiences and communities, and a keen participant asked about whether social media enthusiasts can honestly expect privacy. Geoff directed us to this post, regarding the recent Pew study that shows Americans aren’t as vigilant about keeping tabs on their online privacy as one might think. The study reveals that while 47 percent of Americans are checking on their online footprints, they aren’t doing so with nearly enough regularity. “Technology marketers must be thrilled about this now proven lack of concern on privacy.  This eases the adoption of data intense applications like location based services, new semantic web technologies as well as initiatives like open identity. They keys to success for companies using identity data is to clearly communicate information usage, garner permission, and follow through on their commitments.” [...]

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