Consumers Wary of How Personal Online Info Is Used
Online consumers are not averse to revealing personal information, but are primarily concerned with how companies use that information, according to a new report from New York-based Internet customer relationship management company Cyber Dialogue.
Among the study’s key findings is that 69% of Internet users have unknowingly signed up for e-mail distribution lists and more than 40% of users don’t know or understand what cookies are or how they work. Cookies are software devices that can track the Web sites that users have visited, often without their knowledge.
In 1999, 46% of online users reported that they accept all cookies within their browser, a significant rise from 19% in 1997. In addition, more than 50% of online users believe it is acceptable for Web sites to share information as long as this data enables customized content. But 49% of them feel a site that shares this information with other sites directly invades their privacy.
The Cyber Dialogue report was based on in-depth interviews with more than 1,500 Internet users.
