Most Australians are opposed to Google handing over Australian data to American spy agencies and want greater privacy protection following the revelations of US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden. There is also strong support for greater government regulation to force the internet giant to pay more tax in Australia.

A nationwide opinion poll by UMR Research shows Google remains the most popular internet search engine by far, with 86 per cent of Australians using it. The survey, conducted in November-December 2013, shows Australian usage of Google remaining virtually unchanged since an earlier survey in March 2011.

US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden: Disclosures prompted widespread criticism of Google and other internet service providers for the extent of their cooperation with NSA. Credit:The Washington Post

The UMR poll, based on a nationally representative sample of 1000 online interviews, also shows 83 per cent of people have a positive opinion of Google.

However, the survey found only a minority, 38 per cent, are confident that Google is doing a good job respecting their privacy, and 72 per cent think Google should be subject to greater regulation to protect private information.