NSA revelations, hacks and identity theft have left seven in 10 people in the UK concerned about their privacy, and a third willing to pay to protect information

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

New research has found that 72% of British adults are concerned about their private information online, worried about hackers and unauthorised access to their data.



The research, conducted by YouGov, surveyed more than 2,000 British adults and found that 32% of respondents would be willing to pay to protect their information online. In a significant change in consumer behaviour, 29% felt it was their own responsibility to protect their data.

The findings come two years after the Edward Snowden leaks revealed that the US and UK security forces had access to and collected private data without permission, causing a backlash in the technology and security industries.

A string of high-profile private data leaks and cyberattacks involving large companies, including household names such as British Airways and Jamie Oliver, have kept data security in the spotlight.

Changing attitudes

Wael Aggan, the chief executive of security firm CloudMask said: “Gone are the days when consumers took a back seat in protecting their data online.



“High-profile data breaches, including celebrities’ nude photographs being pasted over the internet, credit card details being hacked and governments gaining permission to access Google and Microsoft customer data is forcing consumers to take more control of their privacy.”

The change in attitudes comes as more and more personal information is demanded from every new service operating online.



YouGov found that 70% of those surveyed shared personal information online when signing up for sites and services, including name, address and date of birth, which are often considered part of the secret personal information used to verify a person’s identity for banking and other secure services.

Responsibility of business

Despite being worried about their private information, more than half of those surveyed said they did not want to pay for online protection, and 61% said the organisation responsible for the application or website should be protecting their information.

Garreth Cameron from the information commissioner’s office agrees. “Consumers are becoming much more aware of the need to protect their personal data online and even though this survey shows they might be prepared to pay to do that, it is still ultimately the responsibility of the businesses who hold that data to make sure they follow the laws around data protection.

“Businesses should be doing everything they can to keep information safe by investing in consumer privacy online, both in terms of education, increased protection and good practice.”

• Islamist hackers seize control of Defra’s air-quality website

• What to do if your email gets hacked and what to do to prevent it happening