Technology & Innovation

Global consumers worry that small privacy invasions may lead to a loss of civil rights, finds EIU survey

March 27, 2018

Global

For immediate release on 27th March, 2018

  • 92% of global consumers say they want to control what personal information is automatically collected
  • 74% of global consumers are concerned that small privacy invasions may eventually lead to a loss of civil rights
  • 57% say the “right to be forgotten” is among the most important consumer rights regarding third-party use of personal information
  • 92% want to increase punishments for companies that violate consumers’ privacy

, sponsored by ForgeRock, is an EIU research programme that explores the concerns and priorities of global consumers stemming from the Internet of Things (IoT). It is based on a survey of 1,629 consumers from eight countries around the world.

Though companies around the world are scrambling to comply, consumers globally want the types of data privacy rights included in the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will take effect in May 2018. Of these, 57% of the consumers surveyed report the right to erase their information (“the right to be forgotten”) as most important—this is the most often cited response.

The data and complementary interviews suggest a few strategies that will help companies build consumer trust. These include collaboration with governments to uphold privacy standards and industry-led commitments to maintain customer privacy. Rigorous government enforcement of standards is key, and 92% of consumers surveyed call for increasing punishments for companies that violate privacy norms.

Veronica Lara, editor of the report, says:

“Consumers have cause for concern, as the ubiquity of interconnected sensors through the IoT adds layers of risk that people can’t easily understand. Companies’ lack of transparency and the absence of consumer control over data exacerbate perceptions of privacy and security threats. This looks to change, however, as consumers demand stronger safeguards and as the influence of GDPR spreads beyond the EU.”

Large shares of the consumers surveyed indicate a host of concerns related to the collection and transmission of their personal information. These range from identity theft to the creation of consumer behaviour profiles, and 74% worry that small privacy invasions may eventually lead to a loss of civil rights. With regard to the automatic collection of data, 92% say they want control over what information is gathered, and a similar share wants to be informed at the point of sale of the data collection capabilities of devices.  

View the study here: 

About The Economist Intelligence Unit

The Economist Intelligence Unit is the world leader in global business intelligence. It is the business-to-business arm of The Economist Group, which publishes The Economist newspaper. The Economist Intelligence Unit helps executives make better decisions by providing timely, reliable and impartial analysis on worldwide market trends and business strategies. More information can be found at or .

About ForgeRock

 is a Digital Identity Management company that offers solutions to help organizations interact securely with customers, employees, devices, and things. Organizations adopt the ForgeRock Identity Platform™ as their digital identity system of record to monetize customer relationships, address stringent regulations for privacy and consent (GDPR, HIPAA, FCC privacy, etc.), and leverage the internet of things. ForgeRock serves hundreds of brands, including Morningstar, Vodafone, GEICO, TomTom, and Pearson, as well as governments such as Norway, New Zealand, and Belgium, among many others. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, ForgeRock has offices in Austin, London, Bristol, Grenoble, Munich, Paris, Oslo, Singapore, Sydney and Vancouver, Washington. ForgeRock is privately held, backed by leading global venture capital firms Accel Partners, Foundation Capital, Meritech Capital and KKR. For more information and free downloads, visit .

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