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Data security is in the limelight like never before following the Cambridge Analytica scandal in March of this year. But has this changed consumer perception with regard to utility companies, or affected attitudes to the adoption of smart technology?
To find out, Utility Week conducted an exclusive survey in association with Harris Interactive. The aim was to gauge whether consumer attitudes had changed following the scandal, in which 50 million people’s data were harvested through a Facebook quiz without their knowledge.
The results showed 47 per cent are now more nervous about installing smart technology in their homes. Interestingly, it is the 18-24 age bracket who are most apprehensive, with 61 per cent more unsure about the adoption of smart tech following the scandal.
We also asked consumers whether their confidence had been negatively impacted – 49 per cent said it had.
The same percentage (49 per cent) said they are now less likely to share their data with social media organisations, but crucially, attitudes towards sharing data with utility companies remains largely the same (44 per cent said their attitude was unaffected. 29 per cent said their attitude has been negatively impacted by the scandal). This percentage was largely consistent across the banking, supermarket, insurance and broadband industries.
- 49 per cent said their confidence has been negatively impacted by the scandal
- 47 per cent are now more nervous about installing smart technology in their homes
- 44 per cent are just as likely to share their data with utilities following the scandal
- 29 per cent said their attitude towards sharing data with utilities has been negatively impacted
- 49 per cent are now more nervous about installing an energy app on their phone
- Seven in ten (73 per cent) would prefer to speak to a real person (as opposed to a chatbot) when sharing their data
The results show that for utilities, the need for transparency has never been greater, not least because the handling of data will remain a hot topic for some time to come.
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