ACI surveys consumer online concerns

Viruses, spam, privacy and identity theft still weigh heavy on consumers’ minds, according to a survey by the American Consumer Institute’s Center for Citizen Research.

by Helen Leggatt

Consumer concerns about viruses, spam and identity theft remain high and have risen since the ACI’s last survey in 2006. Almost three-quarters (74%) of the 648 households surveyed said they were “very concerned” about identity theft, up from 68% in 2006.

The numbers concerned about viruses and spam also rose to 70% and 56% respectively.

Three new questions were added to this year’s survey. Consumers were asked about privacy, unwanted ads and spyware. Privacy generated more concern than spam with 61% ‘very concerned’. Fifty percent of respondents had significant concerns about unwanted online ads, and 45% said they were greatly concerned about spyware.

“Identity theft and computer viruses can be extremely disruptive and it’s not surprising that they top consumer concerns,” said Steve Pociask, president of the ACI.

“However, consumer concerns about privacy, online safety and the handling of personal information suggest that some online providers are not doing enough to tell consumers what information is being collected, how long it will be kept and how will it be used, or, for that matter, whether consumers can opt out of its collection altogether.”