In a 2018 report published by the Global Alliance of Data-Driven Marketing Associations and Acxiom, consumers were assessed for their attitudes to online data privacy across 10 countries.

The report referenced the segmentation analysis conducted by the DMA and Foresight Factory which divided data subjects into three types. The ‘data fundamentalists’ do not want to share their data even it if means forgoing a better service. ‘Data pragmatists’ will assess on a case by case basis whether the enhanced service offered is worth the value of the data being requested. Finally, the ‘data unconcerned’ are, as you might imagine, unconcerned about the collection and use of their data.

It found that Australia had the highest percentage of fundamentalists (27%) while Argentina had the lowest (16%). Furthermore, the Netherlands had the highest percentage unconcerned at 35% while the USA had the lowest with 18%. It has already been shown that attitudes towards privacy vary among age groups and I am certain that they would vary among professions too. Investigative journalists, human rights activists and sex workers are probably highly concerned about their privacy while a retail worker may be less worried about it.

Due to differing attitudes to data privacy, I think there should be a traffic light symbol system of red, amber and green that internet users can activate as they travel around the web. This would let the data controllers of organisations, websites and ISPs they know where they fall on the privacy spectrum. The data controllers would know that a red light is a red line.

Last week I learnt a lesson in respecting peoples’ wishes and boundaries around privacy. I now know, in no uncertain terms, that a red light is a red flag that means ‘no go, no show’ in certain spaces. The picture has since been deleted.