Americans are largely concerned and feel little control or understanding of how companies and the government collect, use data about them | Pew Research Center

October 10, 2023

1. Views of data privacy risks, personal data and digital privacy laws

Americans are largely concerned and feel little control or understanding of how companies and the government collect, use data about them

Americans are largely concerned and feel little control or understanding of how companies and the government collect, use data about them

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Americans are largely concerned and feel little control or understanding of how companies and the government collect, use data about them

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1. Views of data privacy risks, personal data and digital privacy laws
Most trust themselves to make the right decisions about their personal information online, but a majority also are skeptical anything they do will make a difference
About 4 in 10 Americans are very worried about their information being sold or stolen, but this varies by race and ethnicity
Americans are largely concerned and feel little control or understanding of how companies and the government collect, use data about them
Growing shares say they don’t understand data privacy laws
Broad partisan support for more regulation of how consumer data is used
Most Americans don’t trust social media CEOs to handle users’ data responsibly
About 9 in 10 Americans are concerned that social media sites and apps know kids’ personal information
Majority of Americans say parents and technology companies should have a great deal of responsibility for protecting children’s online privacy
Older adults are more likely than younger adults to support law enforcement tracking locations, breaking into people’s phones during an investigation
Majority of Americans say it’s unacceptable to use AI to determine public assistance eligibility, but views are mixed for smart speakers analyzing voices
Most Americans who have heard of AI don’t trust companies to use it responsibly and say it will lead to unease and unintended uses