Winston Privacy Releases New Report on the State of Data Privacy

By AIT News Desk On Jan 8, 2020

The ‘Navigating the Age of Surveillance’ report uncovers changing consumer attitudes, the rise of third-party tracking and the need for mandated data privacy protection

Winston Privacy, an innovative start-up and makers of the Winston privacy filter, released a new report titled, “Navigating the Age of Surveillance” and results of a national survey revealing consumers’ attitudes about data privacy.

“This year’s survey data reinforces what we’ve seen in previous years – that consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about their online privacy,” said Rich Stokes, CEO and founder, Winston Privacy. “We believe internet companies have fundamentally turned against us, using our personal data to turn us into products, and, now more than ever, it’s critical, that consumers take action to protect themselves from unwanted third-party tracking and advertising.”

The “Navigating the Age of Surveillance” report addresses consumer fears that internet companies no longer have their best interests in mind and examines the reality of data privacy today. The report also discloses predictions about data privacy in the next decade as more and more consumers understand the drastic need to protect their online privacy – with many turning to VPNs and other new privacy-centric products entering the market in 2020.

Key Findings from “Navigating the Age of Surveillance” Report:

Consumer are seriously concerned about their data. 74% are “concerned” or “very concerned” about the issue of online privacy, and 75% agree that advertising companies should not be able to collect data about them without their consent.
Americans have a lack of knowledge of privacy tools and how to employ them. 65% indicated that finding tools to improve their privacy was “somewhat” or “very” difficult, and many said they were unaware of specific privacy tools.
The internet is dominated by unwanted tracking and advertising. Between half and two-thirds of the typical user’s data is being used for unwanted tracking and advertising – despite the vast majority of consumers believing the practice of tracking online activities to tailor advertisements is unethical.