Online privacy: a global and ageless concern.

• Position: PRIVACY

If you think teenagers and twenty-somethings don't care about online privacy, you are wrong. J.D. Power's research report "Consumer Concerns About Data Privacy Rising: What Can Businesses Do?" found that consumers believe they're losing control of their online privacy, no matter how old they are or where they live.

Findings showed that data privacy concerns increase with age. Almost 80% of 14-17 year olds said they were somewhat or very concerned about their online privacy, compared to 92% of people 67 years old or older. At least half of the people in these two age groups also report they usually or always set their social networks to private, compared to only 20% of pre-Boomers. Younger users also admitted to providing false information on websites. Nearly 30% of people 13-17 years old (Gen Z) and 18-35 years old (Gen Y) admitted to falsifying information. J.D. Power's Chief Research Officer Gina Pingitore pointed out that this could prove challenging for companies and market researchers.

The research also showed that privacy fears know no borders. The percentage of consumers in India who reported being highly concerned about privacy is equal to that of U.S. consumers (41%). Both countries were slightly lower than China, where 50% of consumers were highly concerned.

"For companies that value the use of online data as a source of consumer insight, it is important that they and the market research community work together to manage actual and perceived efforts to maintain privileged and confidential consumer privacy...