Smartphone users are more concerned about their mobile privacy that the device brand, size of the screen, camera resolution or device’s weight, according to a new report.
TRUSTe latest study 2013 Consumer Data Privacy Study: Mobile Edition reveals that privacy seemed to be major concern for 20% of surveyed smartphone users in the UK and 22% of US users during mobile apps usage.
However, the privacy factor follows battery life, with 45% concerned in the UK, 46% in the US, while 78% in the US and 76% in UK rejected apps that were not trustworthy.
Smartphone users in both the countries are concerned about privacy issues during online banking process, while 43% and 47% of smartphone users in the US and UK were not ready to share any personal information for a free or lower cost mobile app.
31% of US users were unaware about mobile tracking feature, with the US number increasing to 46% in the US, while 38% of users in the US were keen to share some information, with the trend reversing in the UK 35%.
However, users in both the nations have more care for their contacts and photos compared to their home address, phone number or present location.
About 37%, 40% of the US and the UK smartphone users checked whether a mobile app contained privacy policy, while about 17% of UK verified whether the app had privacy trust mark or seal, compared to one third in the US.
The survey also revealed that among the US and the UK users, about 32%, 39% study apps online and 27%, 26% test out with friends prior to sharing private information.
TRUSTe Marketing VP Dave Deasy said with mobile privacy concerns running higher than ever, the business implications simply can’t be ignored.
"If a user won’t download an app or share location data mobile commerce, and technology innovation, feels the impact," Deasy said.
"It’s clear companies must address mobile privacy concerns by giving users what they want – more transparency and control over their privacy choices."
