Consumers Fret About Privacy on Data Privacy Day

It's a sign of the times that we now have a Data Privacy Day, recognized not just in the United States, but also in Canada and 27 other countries.

Lawmakers in the U.S. have promoted the day as a time for increased awareness on the part of consumers regarding safeguarding privacy and data online and on mobile devices. Numerous studies on this topic indicate that consumers increasingly mistrust companies' use of their data. Truste found that 72 percent of smartphone users are more concerned than they were a year about their privacy. In fact, many consumers feel they have little control over the personal information companies gather about them from the Web or other online services, including photo-sharing and gaming, according to a survey from Microsoft. Only 40 percent feel they mostly or totally understand how to protect their online privacy.