Internet Invasion

Analysis By Daniel Merkle, ABCNEWS.com

Feb. 3 Despite the Internet explosion, the majority of Americans
remain unworried about invasions of their privacy via computer 
technology. But more than three-fourths do want greater restrictions
on trafficking of their personal information be it online or off.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans dont spend much time worrying 
that computers and other types of technology are being used to invade 
their privacy. Forty-two percent have at least some worries, including 
just 15 percent who worry "a lot."

These numbers havent changed much since 1994, even with the phenomenal growth of the Internet and the increased potential for privacy violations that has come with it. Just last month, a hacker posted the credit card numbers of 25,000 customers of the CD Universe web site after his demand for $100,000 wasnt met.

Nearly half the public, 48 percent, now uses a computer to access the Internet, this poll finds. And more than a quarter of Americans have bought something online 27 percent, up from 19 percent in an ABC News poll just seven months ago.

Privacy

About four in 10 people express privacy concerns specifically about buying things online. Forty-one percent say buying things on the Internet threatens their privacy, and 40 percent think it poses more of a privacy threat than buying by mail or in a store.

Internet users and nonusers are just as likely to express concerns about online shopping. However, those who have purchased something online are much less likely to have these concerns. Only about a quarter of online buyers think shopping via the Internet threatens their privacy, compared to almost half of nonbuyers. Online buyers may be reacting to uneventful Internet purchases, while concerns about privacy may be keeping some nonbuyers from shopping online.

Action

Although concern about privacy is tepid, the public overwhelmingly supports tighter restrictions on the collection and dissemination of information about them. Three-fourths say it should be illegal for companies to sell information about what consumers buy, and even more, 86 percent, dont think official records of things like real estate purchases, court cases and driving records should be publicly available on the Internet.

Internet users are a little less likely than nonusers to support legal restrictions. Even so, an overwhelming majority of Internet users and nonusers alike, as well as big majorities in all demographic groups, support these restrictions.

Though it is generally legal for companies to sell information about their customers, many have policies forbidding it. This week two companies, Chase Manhattan Bank and the e-mail service InfoBeat, reached a settlement with New Yorks attorney general agreeing no longer to distribute information about their customers to outside companies. Chase had sold customer information to outside marketing companies, in violation of its privacy policy; InfoBeat accidentally sent customers e-mail addresses to its advertisers, also in violation of its policy.

Age

People in the youngest and oldest age groups are less concerned about privacy. This is likely the result of differing computer and Internet usage patterns: Younger people are heavier uses of computer technology and the Internet, and most of them likely havent experienced a major privacy violation. Older people are less likely to use this technology and, as a result, may feel inoculated against these types of problems.

Methodology

This ABCNEWS survey was conducted by telephone Jan. 21-26, 2000, among a random national sample of 1,006 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Fieldwork by ICR-International Communications Research of Media, Pa.