WASHINGTON, January 17 (Sputnik) — A vast majority of US consumers do not control how their personal electronic information is being collected and used by various companies, according to a Pew Research survey released on Friday.
“Fully 91 percent of adults ‘agree’ or ’strongly agree’ that consumers have lost control over how personal information is collected and used by companies,” the report from the survey read. “This includes 45% who “strongly agree” and 46% who “agree” that consumers have lost control.”
The Pew survey asked Americans how secure they felt about using their social media sites, land-line and cellphones, sending emails and on-line chatting.
Americans said that they felt the most confident about using their landline phone, with 16 percent saying they feel “very secure” and 51 percent saying “somewhat secure.”
The survey also revealed that most Americans agree that the government can do more to “regulate what advertisers do with their personal information” as well the information of their children.
Over half argued that the “government should do more” to regulate advertisers, while 34 percent said “the government should not get more involved.”
The Pew survey follows US President Barack Obama’s Internet policy announcements on enhancing US cybersecurity, expanding internet access and creating jobs in the cybersecurity and Internet fields.
In an attempt to shape public and private sector discussions and protect themselves from cyber threats, the White House will host a Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University on February 13, 2015.
