Global trust on the internet in decline.

• Position: Online Privacy

Consumers increasingly are worried about their online privacy and security, especially when it comes to how their personal data is handled by private corporations and governments, according to a survey commissioned by Canada's Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Waterloo, Ontario, and conducted by global research company Ipsos, Paris, France, across 24 countries, which found that 83% of global citizens believe that there need to be new rules about how companies, governments, and other users utilize personal data. Some 85% also believe that their governments should work closely with other governments and organizations to make the Internet more safe and secure.

When asked about online privacy, 57% were more concerned about their online privacy compared to one year ago, with 38% trusting that their activities on the Internet were not monitored, and similarly 46% trusting that their dealings online were not being censored.

"The centrality of trust in informing the attitudes of global citizens about Internet security is perhaps one of the most crucial findings of the global survey Internet users are expressing a clear lack of trust in the current set of rules and, more importantly, in the actors that oversee the sharing and use of personal data online," says Fen Hampson, director...