Only one in 10 adults trusts the government with their
personal information, but family, banks and employers are more
trusted than friends, according to a
survey.
The online survey of 1,048 UK adults, commissioned by
Data Encryption Systems (DES),
showed that three-quarters of Britons would provide contact
details, date of birth, marital status, health information and
children's details to anyone who asks, but only one in 10 adults
trusted the government with their personal information, and even
fewer (9%) would trust an online retailer.
Even so, 41% said they favoured ID cards, 40% were against and
19% were undecided. Of those who were against or undecided about ID
cards, 93% said it was because the government had a poor track
record of looking after citizens' data. Almost as many (87%)
thought the government lacked competence with personal data
security, and 69% thought it had a poor regard for citizens'
privacy.
Two out of three worried that their personal data would fall
into the wrong hands, and almost half thought ID cards would
intrude into their personal lives.
Data breaches such as
HM Revenue & Customs' loss of 25 million unencrypted records of
child benefit claimants, as well as the loss of more than
6,000 drivers' licence applicants' details made two out of
three people distrust the government's technology, the survey
found. "A damning 56% simply don't trust civil servants with their
personal data," the authors said.
The researchers found 64% of workers who used a computer at work
said they dealt with what they considered sensitive or private
information about clients, customers and staff. Only 37% said they
could protect it by encrypting it. Just over half (52%) said they
had no encrypting capability and 11% didn't know.
Commenting on the results, DES managing director David Tomlinson
said, "Every time you pay online, register your taxes or apply for
a passport, you are taking a gamble with your personal information.
Knowing who to trust is a burning question."
Cherry Taylor, managing director of Dynamic Markets, which
conducted the survey, said, "Mistrust in government is a problem we
have seen echoed in other research, which suggests it might be an
issue the government really needs to address."
Who do you trust?
1. Family (62%)
2. A bank (36%)
3. An employer (32%)
4. Friends (28%)
5. The government (10%)
6. Online retailers (9%)
7. Networking sites (1%)
Source: Data Encryption Systems