Americans largely see privacy policies as ineffective for communicating how companies use people’s data

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October 10, 2023

2. How Americans protect their online data

Americans largely see privacy policies as ineffective for communicating how companies use people’s data

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Americans largely see privacy policies as ineffective for communicating how companies use people’s data

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2. How Americans protect their online data
Younger adults are more likely to agree to online privacy policies without ever reading them
Roughly two-thirds of U.S. adults say privacy policies are just something they have to get past to use a product; this varies by education
Majorities have turned off cookies, but some digital habits vary by age
Roughly 4 in 10 smartphone users say they set their phone and apps to automatically update
16% of smartphone owners don’t use a security feature to unlock their device; older adults especially likely not to
Americans are nearly split on what they prioritize in a password: A secure one, or a memorable one
About 7 in 10 Americans feel overwhelmed by the number of passwords they have to keep track of
A majority of Americans 65 and older frequently write their passwords down
Growing shares of Americans use a password manager
Black adults are more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to say they have dealt with an online hack in the last 12 months
About half of Americans say they know what to do if they are the victim of an online hack, but 43% aren’t as confident

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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