In the fall of 2016, the Omidyar Network used the RIWI Global Omnibus to conduct a global survey of 60,000 individuals’ perspectives on whom they trust – government or private companies – with their personal data. The survey captures data from over 60,000 people in 60 countries, and reveals a surprising degree of mistrust around the world that companies and governments alike will need to address if the digital economy is to succeed in the long run.
The RIWI Global Omnibus asked respondents to rank which types of personal information they considered the most and least private, e.g., job and income histories versus the content of phone and online conversations. Overall, there was a fairly balanced view that all of the data types asked were more or less equally private. Then, each respondent was randomly shown one of three types of data — location, web/app activity, and content of online conversations — and asked to indicate whether (or not) they trusted business and/or government to handle that information.
In Omidyar Network’s first issue, Constituent Voices: Trust and Privacy, the findings from the global survey are presented, showing how pervasive the lack of trust is for individuals who have to share their personal data with either governments or companies.
To read the full report, click here.
