US Internet Users Less Concerned About Gov't Snooping

Despite revelations that the National Security Agency has been monitoring Americans' activities online, US Internet users are not as concerned about the government's having access to suspects' home computers or email accounts as they were in 2000 -- during an earlier Internet age. When asked three separate questions relating to the government's ability to "tap" into a home computer and to monitor email, Internet users express varying degrees of concern. In all cases, however, they are less likely to say they are "very concerned" than when Gallup first asked these questions in 2000.

• Thirty-five percent of Internet users are very concerned about the government's ability to tap into a suspect's computer and follow their Internet activities, down 12 percentage points from 2000.
• The 41% who say they are very concerned about the government's ability to tap into suspects' home computer files is down 13 points from 2000.
• US Internet users are most concerned about the government using software to tap into email to search for incriminating evidence of any kind. About half, 51%, are very concerned about this, yet that is down as well, from 63% in 2000.