With growing digitalization comes an increase in data mining – predominantly in agreement with the law and everybody’s consent. If we’ve learned one thing from Edward Snowden’s leak, however, it’s that espionage does not happen in isolation. 70 percent of Germans are convinced that the risk of their data being misused will increase in the future.*
From online shopping and app usage to online raffles – if you’re using the Internet, sharing private information is unavoidable. Even though data usage is highly regulated by law, every fourth German fears that companies will misuse their data for commercial purposes. *
Many online services aren’t actually free of charge. There is a new currency: Our data. Germans don’t appreciate giving up personal information instead of spending real money. Compared to other countries, especially India or China, our data has a high price tag.**
When it comes to their general practitioners, Germans forget all about their data anxieties. 86 percent would trust their doctors with personal data. Social media services aside, e-commerce and financial services, as well as select telecommunications agencies, enjoy Germany’s trust. **
PCs and cell phones are not the only devices with web access. Connected products are trending. Nowadays, even cars cruise the streets as mobile hotspots and smart factories with communicating machinery are on the upswing. Still, 80 percent of Germans have never heard of the terms “Internet of Things” and “Industry 4.0.” *
Even though few people know the term “Internet of Things,” many Germans are familiar with at least one scenario: 86 percent know that home technology can be controlled by smartphones. Smart Homes make mobile access to blinds, light, and heating possible – approximately half of Germany thinks that’s convenient.*
* Source: Security Report 2015 – compiled on behalf of Deutsche Telekom via the Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach and Centrum für Strategie und Höhere Führung. (PDF Download)
** Source: representative data privacy survey of the online-population in Germany, USA, UK, China, and India by US-based company Frog, published in “Harvard Business Review.
