IoT Consumer Survey Finds Opportunity for Competitive Advantage on Privacy

A report from The Internet Society and Consumers International found that consumers have deep concerns about privacy and security in their IoT devices. The report concluded that there is an “opportunity for trust” by which makers of IoT devices can voluntarily embrace strong privacy and security as a competitive differentiator important selling point.

The online survey reached a minimum of 1,000 consumers in each of six countries (United States, France, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and Japan) at the beginning of March 2019. The survey focused on consumer opinions around connected devices. It defined connected devices as products that can use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect to the internet such as connected meters, fitness monitors, connected toys, home assistants or gaming consoles. It excluded tablets, mobile phones and laptops from the definition of connected devices.

Most of the consumers surveyed owned connected devices in at least two different categories. The most common connected devices were gaming consoles, home appliances and fitness monitors. The results of the survey found:

– 63% described the data collection as “creepy”.

– 53% distrust connected devices to handle information in a responsible manner.

– 75% are significantly concerned with other organizations are using their data without permission.

– Only 50% of people are aware of how to disable data collection on their devices.

– 88 percent of consumers agreed that their should be legal standards for manufacturers on privacy and security.

The highest level of concerns about data collection and usage of personal data was in the United States. Consumers in Japan had the lowest levels of concern about connected devices.

The survey found that businesses have an opportunity to create a competitive advantage on privacy. “There is a real opportunity for companies to rethink how they can nurture consumer trust in the IoT market.” The survey found that 82% of US consumers take into account privacy and security information about a connected device when making a purchase. Across all six countries, 77% of consumers considered privacy and security important to their buying decision.

Clarip offers enterprise privacy management software to help companies improve data privacy practices in IoT devices. For a demo of the Clarip platform, contact us or call 1-888-252-5653.