"Forty-three percent of respondents said they would accept a discount if the supermarket where they shopped kept detailed records of their purchases. But only 19 percent said they would accept discounts if the supermarket could use their purchasing history to make assumptions about their race or ethnicity."

The trick is not revealing too much too soon

Yet the study also shows that companies can earn our trust by being transparent with the data they collect and by offering us a semblance of control. Google did just that earlier this week by rolling out its new privacy hub for control, and privacy site for transparency. The trick is not revealing too much too soon.

Google starts by presenting all the user benefits for collecting your data (relevant ads, malware protection; faster, smarter, better services), before dispelling myths ("we do not sell your personal information"), and providing links to the privacy control tools. It’s only when you dig deeper that you find a list of all the information Google collects in order to build its advertising profiles. Still, to Google’s credit, you can find it if you’re willing to look. Most people aren’t. In fact, most get a sense of reassurance just knowing these types of sites exist, regardless of what they say. According to the same study:

"Many consumers may not fully comprehend the data-mining practices that occur when they use sites and apps. For instance, 58 percent of survey respondents wrongly believed that when a website had a privacy policy, it meant that the site would not share their information without their permission."

Fifty. Eight. Percent.

Look, we’re no better than Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, or Apple. We mine data, they mine data, and nobody wants to be a creep.