FTC Chair Suggests Most People Do Not Understand How Our Data Is Used

By Karla Robinson
April 30, 2012

Even as people are sharing an increasing amount of personal data online, Internet users are still worried about digital privacy, according to Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz.
“I think they are very concerned because they have a sense that information is being captured, and they’re not sure where it’s going,” Leibowitz says. “I don’t think most of us understand how it’s captured and transferred and monetized, but I think there is generally concern from consumers about that.”
Privacy has been a hot news topic recently with the CISPA debate and various breaches by top companies such as Google and Facebook.
Some believe that younger people who have grown up in the digital age are less concerned by privacy, but “I think if you drilled down a little bit on that data, it’s actually not that accurate for everyone,” suggests Leibowitz.
“Will personal privacy standards relax as social media becomes more entrenched in everyday life? Or will increased sharing mean heightened consumer vigilance about controlling personal information?” asks Mashable.

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