Privacy fears have increased significantly among US consumers in the last two years, according to a newly released "Truth About Privacy" study conducted by McCann Worldgroup.
The study, conducted in November 2013, found that this trend is more pronounced among teens and reflects the growing concerns about bullying and the evolving opinions about what is cool or not.
“We found evidence of a new trend towards being more selective and exclusive when it comes to sharing, even among the teenage generation,” said Nadia Tuma, Deputy Director, McCann Truth Central.
“As one of our young people said, 'the pendulum is swinging in the direction of more privacy.' This may explain why young people are moving from Facebook to Snapchat. It is becoming cooler to be a bit mysterious, like not being very searchable on Google.”
People are also fearful that the government will use personal data against them. But the companies considered the greatest threat to privacy are the Silicon Valley companies such as Google and Facebook. In contrast, the bank is the institution most trusted to use sensitive personal information properly.
McCann said the study also uncovered new concerns that has more to do with a new consumer etiquette around how to share online such as the "self" phenomenon. Among the young, bullying is only part of the concerns. Three other Bs - boring, boasting, and begging behaviors - are defining the currently accepted sharing and privacy practices.