Just a quarter of Brits trust businesses with our personal data

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published a survey into the British public's approach to personal data, showing widespread distrust in others' handling of it. According to the commish himself, Christopher Graham, 2016's issue of annual research shows that "consumers are taking up the fight to protect their own …

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah, so ironic..

This is the same ICO that confirmed that technically some UK government departments were comfortably in breach of UK's Data Protection Act, but they wouldn't do anything about it until someone complained.

The word technically appears to be shorthand for "we know they're breaking the law but following it up would raise such a political sh*tstorm that we'll prefer to look the other way until someone fixes it".

[Adam 52]

Re: Ah, so ironic..

More than technically in the case of the NHS, but for some reason they preferred to quietly agree an undertaking rather than prosecute.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Ah, so ironic..

technically some UK government departments were comfortably in breach of UK's Data Protection Act

If you are technically breaking the law, then you are breaking the law. On the other hand, working for a Government department is the key to avoiding the consequences. The very worst Doomsday Scenario is that your department will have to transfer a minute part of its budget to the Treasury, to be re-imbursed if it risks an overspend.

[Shadow Systems]

You don't have much of a choice.

You _Have_ to give your bank your PII so you can do business with them. They won't let you open an account without it. But you can tell a mere merchant to fek off as far as your PII is concerned: use cash, a prepaid debit card, or a gift certificate to stay anonymous & thwart any ability to link your purchases back to you.

You can't tell the bank your name is Fucky McFuckFace & stand a chance in hell of getting an account, but you can tell that merchant it's your name without having to bat an eye.

So "of course" folks trust the banks, they don't have much of a choice in the matter. But they don't have to trust a merchant any farther than you could comfortably punt 'em.

[inmypjs]

Re: You don't have much of a choice.

"They won't let you open an account without it."

Don't blame the banks, government won't let them give you an account without it. The FSA has levied huge fines on banks for holding insufficient information on their customers.

I can't even make my GF a secondary credit card holder, She doesn't work, doesn't pay bills, doesn't borrow, and doesn't scrounge from the state which adds up to her not existing enough to be allowed anything financial. Apparently I am living with a money laundering organised criminal terrorist.

[Sebastian A]

Re: You don't have much of a choice.

I have entrusted my bank with a lot of details. I don't trust them with those details, but there's really no way around it. Can't even collect a paycheck without a bank account anymore.

[Adam 52]

Give them their due, the banks are actually quite good at keeping data secure. Sure they pass everything on to Experian who then resell it but they don't seem to suffer breaches in the same way that retailers, governments, hospitals and intelligence agencies do.

[Anonymous Coward]

Experian got quite thoroughly fucked over by hackers last year...and that was just the bit they admitted to...

[Ralph B]

Wisdom of the Crowd

> Just a quarter of Brits trust businesses with our personal data

So, we can probably conclude that only a quarter of British businesses should be trusted with our personal data. Now comes the tricky part to identify which business falls in which category.

[Anonymous Coward]

No more than the US article below, awareness is good to see, BUT...

None of this ever seems to translate into people giving Facebag the boot... Never mind just switching from Googhoul to DuckDuckGo (which apparently uses the former anyway). So until some sweeping sentiment change takes place. Nothing is going to improve imho...

https://www.ntia.doc.gov/blog/2016/lack-trust-internet-privacy-and-security-may-deter-economic-and-other-online-activities

[Cuddles]

Actions vs. words

53%, 36% and 22% of people trust various different types of organisation with their personal details. 99.9% of people hand over those details anyway, in many cases without there actually being any need to do so.

[ntevanza]

Ain't that the truth

I've had three scares recently. We have hit an inflection point. (Well, I have, and claim my right under the commentard constitution to extrapolate to you 'orrible lot as well.)

It was already low intensity war in the commercial world. Now that is true in user land.

Time to fight back.

[staringatclouds]

I trust the Government a hell of a lot LESS with my data than businesses.

At least businesses have rules which they are supposed to follow even when they don't.

The Government just makes it up as it goes along

[Spanners]

It depends on which commercial organisations

Do I trust all companies 100% - no

Do I distrust all companies 100% - no either

Which ones do I mistrust more?

1. Very large ones that have been convicted, without help from rivals, and fined for abusing monopolies.

2. Ones that spend the most on lawyers and PR whiz kids.

3. Any headquartered in the land of the NSA. CIA. FBI and other criminal groups like them.

4. Any that think that consumer rights are "liberal nonsense".

As for trusting my own government. - Very variable. They got my fingerprints and some blood a few decades ago for an army ID card.They are the default repository for a lot of my other information anyway - DOB, family, driving licence, NI number and so on. Do I think that they can't get my travels, phone records and medical stuff as fast as they want? - Don't be silly but I trust them more with it than I would Microsoft, Apple or IBM.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It depends on which commercial organisations

Why? The corporations only intent with tat information is to sell you things.

Governments on the other hand want power over you.

When one could suggest a hat i really like and the other ship me off to the gulags, i definitely know who id trust with my information more.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It depends on which commercial organisations

"When one could suggest a hat i really like"

can Mine be made out of tin foil please.

THEY ARE ALL OUT TO GET ME!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

It's got nothing to do with trust...Gov organisations insist on you coughing up data and there's very little you can do about it.

Take the DVLA - if you want to drive, you have to cough up a bunch of personal data; even though you know that they are going to sell that on to anyone and everyone who turns up with cash.