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BW/HARRIS POLL: ONLINE INSECURITY
Until now, it seemed nothing could slow the Internet's explosive growth. But
sneaky peepers might do it. Worries about protecting personal information on
the Net ranked as the top reason people are staying off the Web--above cost,
ease of use, and annoying marketing messages. Even when Web site operators do
post privacy policies, people are still wary: 33% don't trust the policies at
all; 58 are only a little more at ease. Here are the complete results,
available only online, for the Business Week/Harris Poll that appears in the
March 16, 1998, issue of BW.
Have you personally ever been the victim of what you felt was an improper
invasion of privacy, online or elsewhere?
Have been victim 25%
Have not been victim 75
If you don't go online, would you be more likely to start using the
Internet, or not if...
Yes No Don't Know
The cost was reduced 51% 44% 5%
The use became less complicated 53 43 4
You had more control over businesses 39 56 5
sending marketing messages that you
didn't want
The privacy of your personal information 61 36 3
and communications would be protected
If you go online, would you be more likely to use the Internet more, or not
if...?
Yes No Don't Know
The cost was reduced 67% 31% 2%
The use became less complicated 64 35 1
You had more control over businesses 58 39 3
sending marketing messages that you
didn't want
The privacy of your personal information 78 21 1
and communications would be protected
When you communicate or send a message via the media below, how concerned
are you that the content of what you're communicating will be read or overheard
by some other person or organization without your knowledge or consent?
Not Not Don't
Very Somewhat Very At All Know
By telephone 19% 30% 25% 26% 0%
Using U.S. Mail 15 15 28 42 0
By fax 19 29 26 23 3
By E-mail through the 27 31 22 19 1
Internet
If you use a computer but don't go on-line, how concerned would you be that
the content of what you would communicate by electronic mail through the
Internet would be read by some other person or organization without your
knowledge or consent?
Very concerned 68%
Somewhat concerned 21
Not very concerned 4
Not at all concerned 7
For each of the following transactions, how concerned are you about the
security of your personal financial information?
Not Not Don't
Very Somewhat Very At All Know
Paying a restaurant bill by 28% 25% 21% 21% 3%
credit card
Giving your credit-card 56 24 7 8 4
number to a catalog phone-
service representative
Buying a product online 65 15 4 9 7
with your credit card
Sending a check as payment 21 24 28 27 0
through the U.S. mail
Conducting personal banking 59 18 7 9 6
transactions on line
If you go online, have you ever used the Internet, World Wide Web, or
On-line service to purchase anything?
Have purchased 22%
Have not purchased 78
If you go online, how willing are you to share personal and financial
information about yourself so that online ads can be targeted to your tastes
and interests?
Very willing 3%
Somewhat willing 13
Not very willing 22
Not willing at all 62
If you have bought online, when you use the Internet to purchase products
and services how concerned are you about each of these possibilities?
Not Not Don't
Very Somewhat Very At All Know
The company you buy from 31% 34% 31% 4% 0%
uses personal information
you provide to send you
unwanted information
The company or one of its 56 25 12 7 0
employees uses your credit-
card information to make
purchases without your consent
In the course of the 56 28 11 3 1
transaction, your credit-card
information is made accessible
to others who might use it
without your consent
If you haven't bought online, if you were to use the Internet to purchase
products and services how concerned would you be about each of these
possibilities?
Not Not Don't
Very Somewhat Very At All Know
The company you buy from uses 52% 34% 11% 3% 0%
personal information you
provide to send you unwanted
information
The company or one of its 80 12 6 2 0
employees uses your credit-
card information to make
purchases without your consent
In the course of the 86 10 2 1 0
transaction, your credit-card
information is made accessible
to others who might use it
without your consent
Some companies request that visitors to their Web sites "register" by
providing personal information. If you go online and you are asked to, do you
register?
Always 1%
Most of the time 6
Sometimes 33
Never 59
Don't know 1
Some companies write and post privacy policies on their Web sites. If you go
online, to what extent would a policy that explicitly guarantees the security
of your personal information encourage you to...
Not
A lot A little At All
Use the Internet more in general 18% 44% 38%
Register on that Web site, providing 12 44 44
personal information
Purchase products or service from 15 42 43
that company
If a company posts a privacy policy on its Web site, to what extent do you
trust that company to follow the policy?
Trust completely 9%
Trust somewhat 58
Don't trust at all 33
Here are three ways that the government could approach Internet privacy
issues. Which ONE of these three do you think would be best at this stage of
Internet development?
PC USERS TOTAL
Government should let groups develop voluntary 21% 19%
privacy standards, but not take any action now
unless real problems arise%
Government should recommend privacy standards 25 23
for the internet, but not pass laws at this time
Government should pass laws now for how personal 50 53
information can be collected and used on the Internet
None of the above 2 2
Don't know 2 3
Survey of 999 adults, including 408 online users, conducted Feb. 18-23, 1998
for Business Week by Louis Harris & Associates Inc. and Alan Westin, publisher
of Privacy & American Business.
EDITED BY KEITH H. HAMMONDS
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Updated Mar. 5, 1998 by bwwebmaster
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