With culture, business, and even everyday tasks becoming increasingly rooted in the digital world, the subject of data privacy is more relevant than ever. From your email platform to the websites you visit, almost every online system you interact with is looking for ways to track, store, and use your digital information. Concerned about the security of your data? We’ve compiled a list of statistics about American data privacy and tips to help you combat Big Tech’s overreach.
What Do the Numbers Say?
Americans are more concerned than ever about online privacy, and want to ensure their data is protected, but many believe that fully doing so is impossible. Here’s what the stats say:
- Over half of consumers admit to sacrificing online privacy for convenience
- Over 75% of adults think tech companies collect too much personal data
- In a study of 12 countries, almost half of adults have stopping using platforms because of their data collection policies
- In a study of American smartphone users, only 23% feel like they are in control of their data
It’s difficult to protect your privacy when you’re not sure what’s being shared. Let’s shed some light on the reality of digital privacy:
- Over 80% of iPhone applications track user data
- Apps provided for free are four times as likely to track and collect data than paid apps
- ¼ of Americans agree to a privacy policy every day
- The number of data breaches continues to rise, with over 3,000 breaches in 2024, affecting over 1 billion internet users
- Almost half of all data breaches release personal emails, names, and addresses to hackers
What You Can Do
Not sure where to start to reclaim your digital privacy? Here are some tips:
1. Secure Your Browsing
Securing your browsing is the first step to ensuring your online activities are not shared with unwanted parties. Set your privacy settings according to how much data you want your browser to track and decide whether you want to allow third-party cookies, location sharing, and/or other data to be shared. Utilizing extensions like VPNs, private browsing, and ad blockers can also be helpful in maintaining browser privacy. Making sure you use a browser you trust is also important. Learn about the best private browsers in our post on alternatives to Big Tech apps.
2. Use Secure, Encrypted Messaging
Whether you communicate via email, text, or both, having a messaging platform that’s private is critical to securing your data. Using a platform that utilizes end-to-end encryption is a big part of that. Titanium Secure, the world’s first quantum-resistant messaging app, and the soon-to-be-released ALTERNmail, are excellent alternatives to data-hungry Big Tech messaging platforms.
3. Be Careful Who You Entrust Your Data To
If a website you’re using requests your data (email, phone number, etc.) in order to browse, consider using an alternative email or phone number. You can generate a temporary phone number using apps like Google Voice, and create a temporary credit card number on privacy.com. That being said, if a site appears untrustworthy, the best thing you can do to ensure your privacy is to not visit it at all.
4. Manage App Privacy Settings and Delete Data-Hungry Apps
Many phone apps collect an unwarranted amount of personal information – and the top contenders are probably some of your favorites. In a recent study, the Meta quartet (Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Messenger) was found to collect over 90% of personal user data, nearly 70% of which was shared with third parties. If you’re concerned about privacy, you should review what data each of your apps is collecting, and either turn off individual sharing settings, or delete the app entirely. Make sure that the data being shared is data that is necessary to the functionality of each application. For example, while it may be appropriate for a maps app to track your location, it likely isn’t necessary for a shopping app to do so. When in doubt, ask yourself “Why does this app need this information?”
For more digital privacy tips, see the National Security Alliance’s recommendations for best practices for digital security.
We Value Your Privacy
At ALTERNcloud, privacy is at the center of all we do. Clients choose to utilize our solutions because they know that ALTERNcloud was designed with security from its inception. Every tool we build is designed with one purpose in mind: to give you full control over your data in a secure, private cloud environment — free from the risk of deplatforming or surveillance. Our products include robust multi-factor authentication, industry-standard SSL certificates, and the transparency of open-source software – so you never have to choose between convenience and control. Join the growing number of clients who trust ALTERNcloud to safeguard what matters most.