Data Protection: Nice To Have or Necessary?

Amazon is removing a privacy feature on its Echo home device that allowed users to opt out of sending Alexa voice recordings to the cloud and to process them on the device instead. Though rarely used and only available on certain models, research from the cyber security company Surfshark reveals that Amazon collects significantly more user data than other companies.

But is data privacy still something people care about? According to data from a Statista Consumer Insights survey, it depends on the country. In the United States, under three in ten people said that they are concerned about data misuse. The topic was of greater concern in South Korea and Spain, with 46 percent and 56 percent, respectively, saying it was an issue. In South Korea this concern has not transformed into action though, with only 24 percent of respondents saying that they actively do something to protect their data online.