Statistical Evidence That We Need a Privacy Law Upgrade

Two surveys caught our eye today. The surveys are on two different Internet privacy topics–location information and cloud computing–but both reveal how important it is that we reform electronic privacy law to clearly cover useful digital services. Updating electronic privacy law is necessary both to protect the users of these services and for the businesses who hope to encourage Americans that these services are safe.

First, a Harris Interactive poll shows that more than half of online Americans have little or no interest in using cloud computing–defined by the poll as services that allow "files to be stored, edited or played online from any location at any point in time"–for cloud services like picture, music, or document storage. This number rise to 69% of Americans who don't want to use cloud computing for sensitive financial documents like tax records. 81% of people polled said their reluctance to use those services is, at least in part, because they are concerned about the security of their personal information.

On the mobile side of things, the Mobile Marketing Association announced that 22% of adults 25-34 use location-based services at least once a week. They also claimed the study supported findings that "consumers are interested in allowing their phone to automatically share their location in exchange for perks, such as free use of mobile applications and mobile coupons," although at least one news service was skeptical that users were really willing to give up privacy in exchange for coupons.

These numbers highlight the need for updated privacy law. If 81% of Internet users don't want to use cloud services because they are concerned about security, laws that provide better and clearer protection for online information will help put those fears at ease. Don't just take our word for it–Microsoft said the same thing in January when it called for electronic privacy law reform. And if 1 in 5 young adults are regularly using location-based services, we need laws that protect this sensitive information about where we go, what we do, and who we know from the prying eyes of an overzealous government. Learn more about legal reform at http://www.dotrights.org/ECPA.

And visit www.dotrights.org for information on these and other digital services, including our paper describing the privacy implications for cloud computing.