The Nielsen Company’s latest research, released today, into consumers thoughts on their privacy and their location data seems well timed in light of yesterday’s news that iPhones contain a hidden file that chronicles users’ movements. And no surprise – even without knowing about this recent revelation of the potential for iPhone tracking – most consumers responding to the Nielsen survey said they are concerned about the implications of sharing their location via their mobile phones.
59% of women and 52% of men say that they have privacy concerns when it comes to the apps they download onto their smartphones. Those older than 45 were the most concerned about their privacy, while those between the ages of 25 and 34 were the least concerned.
This Nielsen study specifically targeted those mobile subscribers who have downloaded an app within the last 30 days, so this is a demographic that is familiar with apps and that, at first blush, could be open to trying out the spate of new services that utilize location-based data. That could involve “checking in” or that could just saying “yes” to transmitting GPS data in order to deliver specific content.
Regardless, the Nielsen study does seem to suggest that, despite the popularity of location-based apps, many consumers are still reluctant to share this sort of information. Only 8% of women and 12% of men say that they aren’t concerned about their privacy and location data.
