Most New Zealanders worried about privacy

Two-thirds of New Zealanders are concerned about their individual privacy, and only one in three trust companies with their personal information, according to an annual survey (PowerPoint download) commissioned by the nation’s Privacy Commissioner.

The survey, conducted by UMR Research, found that more than half (55%) of New Zealanders have grown more concerned with their individual privacy over the past few years.

Respondents are most concerned with the prospect of children putting information about themselves on the internet (80%).

But in the wake of the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, it is perhaps unsurprising that concerns over businesses sharing their personal information with other businesses (79%) came in at a close second.

Meanwhile over 62% of New Zealanders are concerned with the privacy implications surrounding the use of drones in residential areas, but only 36% are concerned about the use of CCTV by individuals.

The survey also shows a significant erosion in New Zealanders’ trust in the government to handle private data. While 62% responded that they trust government organisations with their personal information, this is down 9% from 2014. Trust in companies likewise fell significantly to just 32%.

Meanwhile, Privacy Commissioner John Edwards has welcomed an announcement that the government plans to consult with social welfare non-government organisations and service providers on the use of personal data by the Ministry of Social Development.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni plan to reach a shared understanding with these bodies about how personal information collected by the Ministry will be used, shared and protected.

The government plans to invite more than 1500 groups to participate in the consultation. The move comes in the wake of a controversial previous policy that required these service providers to provide information about individual clients to be eligible for government funding.

The Office of The Privacy Commissioner carried out an inquiry into this policy last year, finding that the move could deter people from seeking support or assistance, put vulnerable individuals at further risk and make them invisible to government and policymakers.

“If people perceive that government policies are overly intrusive, it can undermine well-intentioned aims by creating an environment of distrust in which people leave out key details or are dissuaded from accessing social services in the first place,” Edwards said.

He called the move a strong first step towards regaining the trust of vulnerable communities and the social services sector.

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