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Study reveals only two per cent of Kiwis trust social media companies

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 27 Mar 2019, 5:48AM
However, 75 per cent of New Zealanders are willing to give away their privacy in exchange for convenience.  Photo / Getty Images.
However, 75 per cent of New Zealanders are willing to give away their privacy in exchange for convenience.  Photo / Getty Images.

Study reveals only two per cent of Kiwis trust social media companies

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 27 Mar 2019, 5:48AM

A study has found the majority of Kiwis are concerned about their privacy online but are still willing to give their information away. 

The Norton LifeLock study has found only two per cent of Kiwis trust social media providers with their data.

Around 68 per cent of people are alarmed about their privacy, with 97 per cent saying online companies should give customers more control over their data.

However, 75 per cent of New Zealanders are willing to give away their privacy in exchange for convenience. 

Technology strategist Mark Shaw said it's an unsurprising, if strange, revelation.

"As much as we hold this dear and expect platforms to respect that privacy, Kiwis are still willing to give it up from a convenience perspective." 

The study also found a third of respondents had been a victim of cybercrime, and half expected they will experience it in the next year. 

Shaw said trust is the new currency of the internet and some people are perhaps too naive.  

"We've seen a lot of data breaches take place in the last few years, which has impacted hundreds of thousands of Kiwis. We recognise we're putting more and more information onto the internet, but some Kiwis perhaps don't realise how that information is used." 

He hopes changes to our Privacy Act will give Kiwis greater confidence online.

The proposed changes will force companies to notify data breaches to the Privacy Commissioner and notify their customers, Shaw said. 

"Previously, we really didn't understand the concept of digitalisation, so this is a really important step to ensure Kiwis are being protected effectively and they've got the Government ensuring companies are being held to account." 

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