Will you give up personal information for perks? The answer may not be a simple yes or no.

According to a new study released by Pew Research Center, Americans are willing to give up some of their information if the value proposition is high enough.

The study was conducted among 461 U.S. adults and nine online focus groups of 80 people, and revealed there are certain circumstances where the respondents wouldn’t mind sharing personal information or being surveilled as long as they get something in return.

According to the study, the majority of Americans (54 percent) find it acceptable if their workplace installs monitoring cameras after a series of workplace thefts, a huge margin compared to 24 percent who oppose it. As for being offered occasional discounts by retailers in exchange for tracking their purchases, 47 percent find it acceptable but 32 percent of respondents don’t.

Though some may not mind sharing their personal data with retailers, the majority of the respondents find it unacceptable when gathering data involving smart devices at home. Fifty-five percent find it unacceptable for smart thermostats to monitor people’s activities inside the house in exchange for lower energy bills, while only 27 percent find the offering acceptable.

“There will be no ‘SMART’ anythings in this household. I have enough personal data being stolen by the government and sold [by companies] to spammers now,” stated one survey respondent.

The study revealed that Americans take an “It depends” approach when it comes to choosing between privacy vs. disclosure of personal information, with varying factors affecting their decision.

Three factors affecting their decision

Who is getting their data

According to Pew, based on extended comments online and through focus groups, people expressed that their comfort level in sharing personal information depends on the company or organization gathering the data. The more trustworthy a company or organization is, the more likely people will be willing to share their personal information.

Security

One of the most notable security breaches in recent years is when Target Corp. was hacked during Black Friday 2013. Financial accounts of over 40 million customers were compromised and this is just one instance that has people worried about their information. People are now more wary as to how their data are being handled and protected.

What happens to data after collection

Another factor respondents consider is what happens to their data after it’s collected, and how long the data is retained. Will the data be made available to third parties and be used to bombard them with useless, irritating ads? Respondents have voiced their frustration with how their data are being handled. One example is how retailers are pestering them with irrelevant ads as well as unsolicited emails, phone calls, customized ads or other content that aims to get more information from them.

Times are changing

It’s quite interesting how time can change people’s minds. Back in 2012, a study by Berkeley Center for Law and Technology revealed that Americans value their privacy more and would prefer not to be tracked and their data not to be collected.

Now, people are willing to trade their data for perks such as the ones mentioned above, and even cheaper insurance rates.

Photo by JOSBORNE_ (Pixabay)