A variety of approaches may be needed to make people feel secure about the privacy of their personal information on the Internet, according to an AT&T Labs study.
Users were almost as willing to provide a Web site with their e-mail address as they were to name their favorite snack or TV show, the study found, while they consider phone numbers more private than any personal information other than credit card and social security numbers. They were less likely to provide information about themselves that could be shared for marketing purposes, and the vast majority were unwilling to share any information that would identify their children by name, age or address.
The researchers reportedly evaluated users’ reactions to different methods of protecting the privacy of their information online, and to different methods of Web sites requesting information from them. The study has been submitted to the upcoming Federal Trade Commission workshop on consumer protection in the electronic marketplace.
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