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Americans are generally concerned about how
companies who collect personal information use the information. What they fear
most is that somehow this personal information they share gets into the wrong
hands and some harm comes to them, such as having their identity is stolen. At
the same time, consumers understand that in order to get information, they need
to give information. That said, in order to conduct a transaction, whether it be
online or distance shopping, they are more willing to give certain personal
information that is deemed necessary for that transaction, rather than some
possibly sensitive unnecessary personal information that doesn’t seem
necessary.
This is intuitive, of course. The challenge is to
understand what types of information are more sensitive and what types of
information customers deem necessary to a transaction. If we were to generically
ask in a poll: "Are you concerned about your privacy?," of course a
large percentage would say yes because it is taken out of context in terms of
why the information was necessary to share in the first place. Different
situations may require different types of disclosure of personal information.
Wirthlin Worldwide has conducted a great deal of
opinion research in the past three years on the subject of privacy (most of
which is proprietary to a number of different clients), but in the aggregate as
we drill down into what the consumer receives in return—both from the internet
and direct shopping—for the sharing of personal information —both from the
internet transactions and direct shopping—the picture is painted differently
than what some would have you think.
In March 2000, we conducted a multi-phase
qualitative study on privacy. Our approach began with four group discussions in
Philadelphia, PA and Grand Rapids, MI, which were designed to uncover initial
impressions of the public’s attitudes toward privacy issues. Following these
group discussions, we conducted a total of 85 in-depth one-on-one values-based
laddering interviews. These interviews were designed to provide a thorough,
in-depth understanding of the general public’s attitudes about privacy issues
by uncovering respondent’s perceptions of the direct marketing industry at
both the rational and emotional level. These interviews lasted approximately 2
hours and were conducted in New York, NY, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA and
Washington, DC.
Most recently, we conducted a nationwide
telephone study to obtain an up-to-date picture of how the public views privacy
issues. Our survey was conducted late last week, on May 2-3, 2001. We contacted
617 respondents to participate in the 13-minute survey, the results of which we
have prepared for you. The margin of error for a study of this size is +
3.9 percentage points.
Findings from the two qualitative studies
indicate that Ppeople make choices and form opinions based on personally held
values. The rational elements of the decision-making process are important in
supporting the emotional components they tap into. As long as individuals feel
protected and that they have control, the When people get physical benefits from
sharing information—as long as they feel protected—these benefits satisfy
emotional needs. In fact, we summarize the way people think about the need to
provide personal information in this way: I want to give what I want when I
want, and I want to get what I want when I want . In other words, consumers
are willing to part with information they perceive as necessary to commence or
complete a transaction of their choice.
.I want to give what I want to give and I want to
get what I want to get, when I want it.
There are categories of information consumers
are willing to share in order to conduct a transaction and other personal
information they believe should never be shared. In our most recent research,
for example, the majority of people say they are "never comfortable"
sharing their social security number, financial information, medical information
or information about their children. These types of information are deemed
sensitive and therefore individuals information they are less likely to share
such as medical information and financial information and information about
their children fallsinformation which falls into the category of "not
necessary" or "none of your business." Conversely, people are
usually comfortable revealing their gender, age, education, occupation, hobbies
and interests, and how they heard about the site, [REFER TO CHART
1]
There are actions businesses can take to make the
information that is shared more secure, which would result in raising consumers’
confidence to give personal information in the first place. For example, actions
that make consumers more comfortable include: using industry services to opt-out
of direct marketing and telemarketing lists, using technology to prevent
identity theft, restricting access to medical and financial data for marketing
purposes and communications campaigns about highlighting consumer rights and
privacy protections. [REFER TO CHART 2]These are policies
such as restricting access to medical and financial data for marketing purposes
and using industry services to remove your name from mailing telemarketing and
e-mail marketing lists. If businesses were to champion a series of safety and
security measures, consumers would have a better sense of control and feel that
by providing personal information they have made a smart choice, saving time and
money .
The Internet, which is still a relatively new
medium, is not completely understood by the public, even by many users. Most do
not know how it operates. They know the Internet is a communication tool for
providing and receiving and providing information. However, they do not know how
information travels over the Internet and who is at the other end of the
monitor. It is a fear of the unknown that raises the level of skepticism for
many consumers and reduces their feelings of control.
For example, most people will provide their
credit card to a stranger to process a transaction at a traditional business or
restaurant without concern for their personal credit data. These practices have
a tradition of being secure and are therefore widely accepted. With a new medium
such as the Internet, consumers’ level of comfort is tied to their experience.
Those who participate in Internet commerce tend to feel more knowledgeable about
the Internet and more comfortable with providing personal information. Our
research shows that as people have positive experiences with Internet commerce,
For those with experience, their level of skepticism is diminished allowing them
to enjoy the medium. Over time, as more and more people experience Internet
commerce, the unknown nature of the medium will fade as it become more a part of
our daily lives.
In summary, companies that voluntarily enact good
privacy policies -- ones that are easily understood by everyday consumers -- can
help comfort consumers that their information will not be abused. break down the
perception that business can’t police itself. In other words, industry can
achieve this effectively through can adopt self-regulating policies concerning
the collection, use, storage and exchange of personal information.
Thank you.
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