It is no secret that tech companies have shared their user information with governments in the past. This makes many Americans feel uncomfortable with how their data is handled.
According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, 50% of the adults born in Generation Z feel very uncomfortable sharing their location data, including where they had traveled, with the government. Along with the Baby Boomer generation, of whom 54% are highly insecure about sharing their whereabouts, they are the most concerned about personal data privacy.
Nevertheless, 15% of adults born in Gen Z and 17% of Baby Boomers still feel confident about the government tracking their location, with 6% in each generation stating they feel very secure with the situation.
Millennials (1981-1996) and Generation X (1965-1980) are a little more positive about their location data being known to the government. Overall, 13% of Millenials are very confident with sharing their whereabouts, while 40% are strongly against it. In the meantime, 14% of adults born in Generation X are highly comfortable sharing their location data, and 46% of Gen Xers feel the opposite.
However, all adult groups are less against their location data being shared with the government if it is for the purpose of Coronavirus tracking.
Rachel Welch, COO of Atlas VPN, shares her insights on why various generations view privacy differently, “Each generation is distinct in its own way. After all, every one of them grew up under different historical, economic, and cultural circumstances that shape their outlook of the world. The latter also impacts how protective they are of their personal data.”
Non-college graduates trust the government least
Most people feel uneasy about their personal data, such as their location, being shared with the government. Nevertheless, it seems that higher education levels in adults lead to higher trust in the government with their data.
Overall, 74% of American adults that had not completed a college education feel uncomfortable with the government tracking their whereabouts. While 51% of such adults said they are very insecure with the situation, 23% are somewhat uncomfortable.
Other adult groups in the US feel slightly less pessimistic about the tech companies sharing their location data with the government. In total, 45% of adults with Bachelor’s degrees feel very unsafe with the government having their location data, while the number drops to 32% in adults with Postgraduate education.
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