Mistrust amongst online shoppers over data privacy fears

Almost a quarter of online shoppers admit to using guest accounts because of data privacy fears, a new report has revealed.

The report, from Empathy.co, says 22% shoppers regularly use guest accounts to purchase online goods to avoid handing over personal data,

The data was obtained via a Censuswide survey of 4,000 online shoppers. It revealed that nearly half of consumers much prefer to shop with brands they trust, while 20% are more willing to share personal information with brands they favour, and 22% are even willing to spend more for the brands and websites they trust.

Much of this mistrust resides in how companies are perceived to be using customer data. In fact, 40% of respondents agreed that they don't like being asked for unnecessary or sensitive data and 28% admitted that they would like to take back information from brands they don't like or trust if they could.

Similarly, 42% of online shoppers revealed that they are careful when providing personal data and accepting legal notices, and 37% would like more control of the data that businesses have on them, much of which is handed over without the consumer even realising and sometimes even without their consent.

When surveyed on their attitudes to how their data is being used, only 13% of the respondents said that they are not concerned about how their data is used at all and will hand it over whenever necessary. Also, only one in 10 said that they like that businesses remember their tastes and preferences via the use of cookies.

When asked about their attitude to some notorious Big Tech companies, 18% of respondents said that they think the purpose of Facebook is to spy on us and sell advertising. The report shows 12% also said that they think Amazon consciously make cheap copies of top selling third party products.

"With the global pandemic forcing the majority of consumers to shop online, there has been a surge in demand for privacy, security and a clear increase in fears over data security," says Angel Maldonado, CEO, Empathy.co.

"In fact, data privacy is of such importance in today's climate that just promising to not misuse data is no longer enough, and brands need to show that they're behaving ethically and that they are using customer data responsibly.

"Therefore, improving digital experiences and eCommerce platforms so that they are transparent and act with customer care in mind is imperative to improving brand power and showcasing trust.