The survey, which was conducted by Hill+Knowlton Strategies, involved 1,500 respondents. The poll revealed that nearly eight in ten Canadians are concerned about their privacy, and about seven in ten want more control over their data. The survey also revealed that many Canadians continue to engage in risky behaviors that could compromise their privacy, like re-using the same passwords. “Nearly half of Canadians (49 percent) have not changed their email password in the past year, while more than half (55 percent) have used the same passwords across multiple websites,” Interac said.
Many Canadians Feel Their Data is Being Misused
According to Interac, seven in ten Canadians think their data is being sold or shared with third parties without their consent. Some Canadians also feel their data is being used for “tracking [their] location (58 per cent), manipulating their beliefs (32 per cent), and stealing their identity (31 percent).” Interac highlighted the importance of organizations building trust with customers by giving them more control over their data. Over half of the respondents believe organizations are responsible for protecting their data, and nearly seven in ten said they would hold an organization accountable if their data is exposed due to a breach. “As Canadians hold organizations accountable for the use and storage of data, entities of all sizes have an imperative to provide clear guidelines on how personal information will be used and to enable increased control for users when it comes to managing their privacy online,” Colette Stewart, senior legal counsel and privacy lead at Interac, said.
Risky Online Behaviors
While many Canadians do not trust organizations with their data, some continue to engage in risky online behaviors. Interac said about 58 percent of respondents admitted that they log in to various online services using their social media accounts, although only 11 percent trust these accounts with their data. Disturbingly, only 33 percent of the respondents said they would know what to do if their data was stolen online. Usually, stolen data end up being sold or shared on the dark web, and cybercriminals use this data for other nefarious schemes, like identity theft. Do you suspect your data has been leaked online? Our article on dark web monitoring contains everything you need to know about protecting your digital identity. Most of the respondents also expressed interest in learning more about how to safeguard their privacy online. We recommend using unique, secure passwords for all your online accounts and enabling two-factor authentication across your accounts. Check out our guide on how to be safe online for more useful cyber hygiene tips.
