If 52% don’t understand data-sharing economy, is opt-in redundant?

Nieman Lab has unveiled the results of research suggesting more than half of adults do not realise Google is collecting and storing personal data through usage of its platforms.

The research itself is quite shocking and outlines a serious issue as we stride deeper into the digital economy. If the general population does not understand the basic principles behind the data-sharing economy, how are they possibly going to protect themselves against the nefarious intentions from the darker corners of the virtual world?

You also have to question whether there is any point in the internet players seeking consent if the user does not understand what he/she is signing up for.

According to the research, 52% of the survey respondents do not expect Google to collect data about a person’s activities when using its platforms, such as search engines or YouTube, while 57% do not believe Google is tracking their web activity in order to create more tailored advertisements.

While most working in the TMT industry would assume the business models of the Google and the other internet are common knowledge, the data here suggests otherwise.

66% also do not realise Google will have access to personal data when using non-Google apps, while 64% are unaware third-party information will be used to enhance the accuracy of adverts served on the Google platforms. Surprisingly, only 57% of the survey respondents realise Google will merge the data collected on each of its own platforms to create profiles of users.

Although this survey has been focused on Google, it would be fair to assume the same respondents do not appreciate this is how many newly emerging companies are fuelling their spreadsheets. The data-sharing economy is the very reason many of the services we enjoy today are free, though if users are not aware of how this segment functions, you have to question whether Google and the other internet giants are doing their jobs.

The ideas of opt-in and consent are critically important nowadays. New rules in the European Union, GDPR, set about significant changes to dictate how companies collect, store and use personal information collected by the service providers. These rules were supposed to enforce transparency and encourage the user to be in control of their personal information, though this research does not offer much encouragement.

If the research suggests more than half of adults do not understand how Google collects personal information or uses it to enhance its own advertising capabilities, what is the point of the opt-in process in the first place?

Reports like this suggest the opt-in process is largely meaningless as users do not understand what they are giving the likes of Google permission to do. The blame for this lack of education is split between the internet giants, who have become experts at muddying the waters, and the users themselves.

Those who use the services for free but do not question the continued existence of ‘free’ platforms should forgo the right to be annoyed when scandals emerge. Not taking the time to understand, or at least attempt to, the intricacies of the data-sharing economy is the reason many of these scandals emerge in the first place; users have been blindly handing power to the internet giants.

The internet players need to do more to educate the world on their business models, however the user does have to take some of the responsibility. We’re not suggesting everyone becomes an internet economy expert, but gaining a basic understanding is not incredibly difficult. However, it does seem ignorance is bliss.