#Never read your own press releases Offline#

With subpoenas or court orders and warrants, law enforcement organizations can typically access and monitor people’s phone and traffic records, health records (including genetic records), online and app browsing, search queries, texts and emails. This list is not exhaustive.īeyond that, national security organizations like the National Security Agency have authority to monitor phone traffic and people’s movements. That includes their tax- and employment-related information, physical attributes if they get a government ID, financial circumstances if they get benefits from social, housing and employment training programs, health information if they participate in government health-insurance programs, addresses, household composition, property ownership if they own houses or cars and educational details if they get student loan or grant, for example. Administrative government agencies like the IRS, Census Bureau, Postal Service and social welfare departments gather various personal details about people. It is difficult to determine how much personal data the government collects and otherwise can access through private company records. For instance, respondents were asked: “As far as you know, how much of what you do online or on your cellphone is being tracked by the government?” Related questions focused on people’s attitudes about the data the government collects about them. Several of the queries of this survey focus on public perceptions of what “the government” does related to personal data. For example, 79% of Americans say they are not too or not at all confident that companies will admit mistakes and take responsibility if they misuse or compromise personal information, and 69% report having this same lack of confidence that firms will use their personal information in ways they will be comfortable with. Additionally, majorities of the public are not confident that corporations are good stewards of the data they collect.

adults by Pew Research Center that explores how Americans feel about the state of privacy in the nation.Īmericans’ concerns about digital privacy extend to those who collect, store and use their personal information. Most also feel they have little or no control over how these entities use their personal information, according to a new survey of U.S. At the same time, a majority of Americans report being concerned about the way their data is being used by companies (79%) or the government (64%). Some 81% of the public say that the potential risks they face because of data collection by companies outweigh the benefits, and 66% say the same about government data collection.

adults are not convinced they benefit from this system of widespread data gathering. adults say they do not think it is possible to go through daily life without having data collected about them by companies or the government.ĭata-driven products and services are often marketed with the potential to save users time and money or even lead to better health and well-being.

It is such a common condition of modern life that roughly six-in-ten U.S.

#Never read your own press releases Offline#

A majority of Americans believe their online and offline activities are being tracked and monitored by companies and the government with some regularity.