Canadians feel their personal information is no longer in their control: survey

Canadians believe their personal data “is more exposed than ever.”

A new survey from Interac examining the issue found that 77 percent of Canadians feel this way. A further 72 percent believe companies can access too much of this data and only 40 percent of respondents feel they can safeguard their online personal information.

The findings include the responses of 1,500 Canadians who were surveyed between January 2nd and 4th.

The results show a majority of Canadians want to have more control over the way their online information and how it’s shared. Consent appears to be a leading issue, as 59 percent say they don’t have an understanding of the conditions they agree to. This means they “can’t clearly consent” to the sharing of their personal information. A further 65 percent say the language describing how companies will use their data is vague. Most Canadians believe organizations should delete their personal information if requested. A majority of those surveyed don’t believe there are sufficient measures to protect their privacy.

The federal government will soon introduce legislation focusing on open banking, which allows people to share personal information securely. Canadians feel positive about the move. According to the survey results, 65 percent are hopeful of the control open banking will give them.

“As Canada moves to provide consumers with greater control over financial data via consumer-driven banking, its adoption and utility hinges on strong privacy, data protection and consumer trust,” Kashmera Self, vice president of strategy and innovation at Interac, said.

The survey further revealed Canadians have concerns about connected technologies. Almost half of the survey respondents said they were very concerned with the way the technologies, including smart home devices and AI chatbots, use their personal information.

Source: Interac Corp.

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