Study: Online shoppers openly share personal details with e-retailers

Privacy remains top of mind for consumers, however they are willing to share personal information when shopping online.

A whopping 80% of online consumers will not hesitate sharing their personal information when shopping, according to “Privacy in 2023: Evolving Consumer Privacy and Education to Drive Measurable Shifts in Accountability and Action,” a study from start-up Cloaked. Specifically, 70% are willing to share a name, 56% an email, and 42% a phone number when experiencing an organization for the first time.

Also,  33% are willing to share their info when they can save or make money.

Interestingly, 28% of consumers don’t think they can enjoy shopping without giving up their privacy. Meanwhile, 39% of shoppers believe their data is always being collected by online companies, the study revealed. 

There are instances when online shoppers are extremely hesitant to share their information, including when accepting cookies (88%), sharing access to geolocation data (83%), and when using customer service chats (74%).

Online consumers are cognizant to protect their privacy beyond e-retailers. In fact, they are hesitant to share their personal details on dating apps (43%), when using public wifi (36%), and when sharing healthcare info (30%), the survey said.

With education from the financial industry, innovators, brands and policymakers, among other consumer advocates, consumers will begin to feel the comfort and take more control of their personal data, according to Cloaked. In fact, 50% of consumers reported they would take more privacy actions with better tools, and 44% would expect to gain a better understanding of what happens to their data when shared, according to the study.