The Open Data Institute has released findings from new consumer research, conducted online by YouGov, revealing current attitudes of British adults online towards sharing personal data. The full dataset can be viewed here under an open licence The findings show that: Age matters: young adults were generally more comfortable sharing information about themselves, compared to their parents’ generation. Trusting and knowing organisations increase the likelihood consumers will share personal data about them Healthcare organisations are most trusted Data skills need to be improved Consumers are prepared to make worthy trade-offs to share data about them if it benefits themselves and others in society Dr Jeni Tennison, CEO at the Open Data Institute said: ‘When data is working hard for consumers, it should help them make better decisions, save money, and present them with wider benefits and opportunities. This survey shows that more people need to understand how to share data confidently to reap these rewards. ‘At the ODI we want consumers to feel more confident and informed about data. Data literacy is not a solution for all problems — we will always need strong regulation and well-designed, ethical services — but it is part of the answer to building and retaining trust in data. Improving data literacy is partly down to organisations designing services that are far more proactive and transparent in explaining how they use customer data [1]. This makes it easier for consumers to use their increased rights in the forthcoming EU data protection regulations, which put them more in control of personal data about them. Additionally, organisations need to be clear about what customers will get in return for sharing data. ‘It is also important that educators include data literacy in courses both in formal education environments, and informal environments for people not in full-time education.’ All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,023 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 28-29 November 2017. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). If you’d like to talk to us about the poll, data skills or to see if there’s any opportunity for us to collaborate, please do get in touch.
Older generations are less comfortable sharing their data with organisations and social media platforms than young adults, according to YouGov research. The results, published by the Open Data Institute, showed nearly half of 18-24-year-olds would share data to benefit society, compared to 37% on average, while 38% of the younger group would hand over data to help them save money or get discounts, compared to just 15% of over 55s.