Privacy Perceptions
80% of adults believe that Americans should be concerned about the government’s monitoring of phone calls and internet communications and many say key communications channels like phones and email are not secure.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
80% of adults believe that Americans should be concerned about the government’s monitoring of phone calls and internet communications and many say key communications channels like phones and email are not secure.
Different kinds of information evoke varying levels of sensitivity among Americans. Social security numbers are universally considered to be the most sensitive piece of personal information, while media tastes and purchasing habits are among the least sensitive categories of data. In general, about half of respondents view the content of phone conversations, email messages and […]
While social media sites were the most common place noted for online harassment in a recent Pew Research Center survey, about a fifth of internet users cited website comments sections as places where they had that experience.
In the wake of Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations of widespread government surveillance of Americans’ phone and email records, various news organizations have explored the idea that “privacy is dead.” At the same time, others have suggested that renewed public attention to the topic has meant that privacy is, in fact, “thriving online,” or at the […]
A variety of views in regard to this issue are reflected in these big thinkers’ imaginings of what may happen by 2025. ‘Social punishment may have to be accompanied by legislation’ Vint Cerf, Google vice president and chief Internet evangelist, responded, “The public will become more sophisticated about security and safety. Corporations and service providers […]
Across the board, there is a universal lack of confidence in the security of everyday communications channels—particularly when it comes to the use of online tools. Across six different methods of mediated communication, there is not one mode through which a majority of the American public feels “very secure” sharing private information with another trusted […]
About this survey The analysis in this report is based on a survey conducted January 10-27, 2014 among a sample of 607 adults, 18 years of age or older. The survey was conducted by the GfK Group using KnowledgePanel, its nationally representative online research panel. GfK selected a representative sample of 1,537 English-speaking panelists to […]
As previous work from Pew Research has shown, most technology users feel positively connected to the services and devices that connect them to others. It is not, however, a relationship without tension. Many users sometimes feel stressed by their constant connectivity (for example when their cell phones distract or interrupt them) or vulnerable when they […]
A majority of Americans feel that their privacy is being challenged along such core dimensions as the security of their personal information and their ability to retain confidentiality.
A look at the prevalence of harassment online, its various forms, where it occurs, and how people respond.
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