Responsible data: not just an issue in rich countries


/ January 22, 2015

Privacy is sometimes described as being only an issue in Europe and the US, but Microsoft’s second annual survey of internet users worldwide suggests otherwise. The survey, which surveyed 12,000 people in China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Russia and Turkey (as well as several Western countries), found that, in every country, privacy was the most consistently expressed concern.
Microsoft survey on privacy

In eleven of the twelve countries surveyed, with India the only exception, respondents say that technology’s effect on privacy was mostly negative. Majorities of respondents in every country but India and Indonesia say current legal protections for users of personal technology are insufficient, and only in those two countries do most respondents feel fully aware of the types of personal information collected about them.

About the contributor

Tom started out writing and editing for newspapers, consultancies and think tanks on topics including politics and corruption in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, then moved into designing and managing election-related projects in countries including Myanmar, Bangladesh, Rwanda and Bolivia. After getting interested in what data and technology could add in those areas and elsewhere, he made a beeline for The Engine Room. Tom is trying to read all of the Internet, but mostly spends his time picking out useful resources and trends for organisations using technology in their work.

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