Consumer Data Trust & Privacy Perceptions Survey

Welcome to this survey on data privacy and trust. This survey asks about your experiences with how companies handle personal data, respond to breaches, and request permissions. There are no right or wrong answers — we are interested in your honest opinions. Your responses are confidential and will be reported only in aggregate. Participation is voluntary and you may stop at any time. Estimated time: 6–8 minutes.

In the past 3 months, how often did you use online accounts that store your personal information (e.g., email, shopping, banking)?

• Several times a day
• About once a day
• A few times a week
• About once a week
• Less than weekly
• Not in the past 3 months

Overall, in the past 3 months, how much did you trust companies to handle your personal data responsibly?

How confident are you that companies you use would notify you promptly if a data breach affected your personal information?

How transparent were the permission requests you encountered from apps or websites in the past 3 months?

Based on your responses in this survey, what one change would most improve your trust in how companies handle your personal data?

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your responses will help improve data transparency and privacy practices. You may now close this page.

How clear were the privacy notices and data-use explanations you encountered in the past 3 months?

Which actions would most increase your confidence in a company's response to a data breach? Select up to 3.

• Notify affected users within 72 hours
• Explain clearly what happened and why
• Identify exactly what personal data was affected
• Provide clear next steps I can take
• Offer a dedicated support contact
• Issue regular status updates until resolved
• Offer remediation such as credit monitoring
• Publish an independent post-incident report

Rank the following controls from the one you trust most to the one you trust least for managing app or website permissions.

1. Operating system or device permission controls
2. In-app privacy or settings menu
3. Account-level security and privacy dashboard
4. Per-permission prompts at install or first use
5. App store permissions summary

We'd like to explore your views on data trust and privacy in a bit more depth. An AI moderator will ask you a couple of follow-up questions based on your earlier responses.

Which best describes your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer not to say

Rank the following types of personal data from the one you are most comfortable with companies collecting to the one you are least comfortable with.

1. Name and contact information
2. Location or GPS data
3. Browsing and search history
4. Financial or payment information
5. Health or biometric data
6. Social media activity

In which region do you currently live?

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• South America
• Oceania
• Prefer not to say

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Less than high school
• High school or equivalent
• Some college, no degree
• Associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate or professional degree
• Prefer not to say

What is your current employment status?

• Employed full-time
• Employed part-time
• Self-employed
• Student
• Unemployed
• Retired
• Prefer not to say