Article • almost 2 years ago
Americans Express Concerns Over Data Management and Call for a Decentralized Internet, Survey Finds
Summary
- Only 22% of Americans think the internet is extremely or very fragile, but over half (55%) have experienced the loss of digital information they care about.
- The survey shows widespread data loss and lack of control, with 71% of Americans reporting information/records loss due to link rot, and significant percentages reporting being locked out of accounts, losing irreplaceable photos, and being unable to access old email accounts or losing data.
- 83% of Americans want technology companies to enable them to control how their personal information is used.
- 76% of Americans share as little personal information or data as possible online to maintain control.
- Americans express an openness to alternative methods of storing and accessing information, with 85% believing it's important to preserve crucial information for future generations and expressing the need for safe storage, control over access and duration, the ability to monetize data, and relying on multiple companies instead of a few.
- The survey emphasizes the need for a decentralized alternative to big tech, putting people in control of their own data, protecting privacy and security, and preserving important information.
- The survey was conducted by Ground Control Research on behalf of the Filecoin Foundation, with 1,005 responses from a representative sample of online American adults using Rep Data in August 2022.
