Globally, more than 5 in 10 consumers are aware of privacy laws – report

NEW DELHI New Delhi: More than five in 10 (53 percent) consumers are now aware of privacy laws globally, and aware consumers are more likely to feel that their data is safe (81 percent), while uninformed consumers (44 percent) do not feel so.

The survey conducted by networking giant Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) highlighted the important role of privacy rights awareness in boosting consumer trust and confidence in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), stating that 63 percent of consumers believe believe AI can be useful in improving their lives and 59 percent say stronger privacy laws make them more comfortable sharing information in AI applications.

Harvey Jung, vice president and chief privacy officer at Cisco, said, “Nearly 60 percent of consumers who are aware of privacy laws are comfortable using AI. Expanding awareness and educating consumers about their privacy rights will help them make informed decisions and respond to emerging threats. “This will empower us to foster greater trust in technologies.” The use of generative AI (GenAI) has almost doubled, with 23 percent of respondents using it regularly, compared to 12 percent last year.

However, 44 percent of consumers surveyed are unaware of GenAI. While users say they are gaining significant benefits from having GenAI assist with content creation work, they are concerned about security, potential abuse, and social risks. Dev Stahlkopf, Cisco's chief legal officer and executive vice president, said that 78 percent of consumers surveyed feel that businesses have a responsibility to employ AI ethically, underscoring the important connection between responsible AI and consumer trust.

Focusing on privacy, 30 percent of GenAI users say they enter personal or confidential information into GenAI tools, including financial and health details. This is despite 84 percent of people being concerned about that data becoming public. The survey found that consumers aged 25-34 are also the most aware of their privacy rights.

Comments are closed.