'Big data', may be one of the key buzz phrases in contemporary ad tech and march circles, but its increasing use by big business brings with it a growing sense of public unease, as an increasing number of people practising more stringent personal data control. 

That's the opinion expressed in a survey published today (28 January) by consumer privacy advocacy firm TRUSTe to coincide with this year's Data Privacy Day, a scheme engineered to educate the public on how to handle their personal data more carefully.

The survey found that 92% of internet users worried about their privacy when using the internet and that such concerns had skyrocketed in the last 12 months, with one-in-three (33%) more concerned about it compared to a year ago. 

TRUSTe also found that as online trust continues to fall, the business impact is significant with 80% of the surveyed participants moderating their online activity over the last 12 months due to privacy concerns.

Perhaps most alarmingly for companies operating in the big data sphere, the top cause of concern among the participants was the possibility of companies collecting personal data on web users and then sharing it with other companies, with 48% of consumers saying this was a concern ahead of online security threats (35%), and Government surveillance (21%).

The survey – dubbed the TRUSTe 2015 GB consumer confidence privacy index – also found that 42% of people say that companies need to be more transparent about how they are collecting and using data, with 35% saying that passing more legislation to protect personal information online would help alleviate their concerns.

The findings were based on data from two online surveys conducted by Ipsos MORI with around 1,000 British Internet users between 28 November – January this year, with the survey further detailing how users were moderating their online behaviour due o such concerns.

In the last 12 months 80% of people have limited their online activity due to their privacy concerns, oof the surveyed participants:

- 58% have not clicked on an online ad
- 53% withheld personal information they were asked for
- 37% have not downloaded an app/product
- 26% stopped an online transaction before completing it
- 8% deleted an online account

Meanwhile 87% have taken active steps to protect their privacy in the last 12 months but more than half (57%) say they still don’t think they dedicate enough time to this. In the last year:

- 58% say that they have deleted cookies
- 48% have changed their privacy settings on their browser or social media sites
- 30% have turned off location tracking
- 22% have read the privacy policy on a website or app
- 13% have opted out of behavioural ads

Commenting on the results, Chris Babel CEO, TRUSTe, said: “With the highest number of data breaches on record in 2014, it is hardly surprising that the privacy and security of online data is a big issue in Britain and a growing concern. But with frequent terrorist threats reported on the news it is surprising that so many people consider their personal privacy more important than countering that threat.

"Governments tread a fine line between balancing national security and consumer privacy rights; for businesses the stakes are high too. In an increasingly interconnected world, lack of trust can limit growth and strangle innovation as companies are deprived of the data they need to drive sales."