Most Google, Facebook users fret over privacy

Most Americans are worried about privacy and viruses when using Facebook or Google, according to results of a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.

Nearly seven out of 10 Facebook members surveyed — and 52% of Google users — say they are either "somewhat" or "very concerned" about their privacy while using the world's most popular social network and dominant search engine. Even so, technologists and privacy experts say most people lack a clear grasp of the complex risks they accept whenever they're on the Internet. "Consumers generally do not understand who's getting access to their data and for what purpose," says Ryan Calo, director of the Consumer Privacy Project at the Stanford University Center for Internet and Society. Many of us "have a general sense of unease" when we're online, Calo says. The poll found that a similar percentage of Facebook and Google users — 65% and 54%, respectively — say they are worried about Internet viruses.