The latest EY Future Consumer Index shows a paradox among Polish consumers regarding the protection of their digital data. A majority of the respondents (64%) are afraid of their digital data being stolen, marking an increase of 15 percentage points compared to the year 2023. At the same time, Poles are extraordinarily willing to share information, including identifying data. 62% of those surveyed declared their readiness to do so in exchange for receiving personalised offers and promotions from brands they had previously interacted with. This result is a whopping 34 percentage points above the global average of 28%. Concerning identity theft anxiety, the rates for Poland (64%) and the world (61%) are very similar.
The results of the next edition of the EY – Future Consumer Index study indicate that the approach of Poles to protecting their data online is paradoxical. Polish respondents express a significantly higher increase in anxiety about potential data theft as a result of using digital products and services. Over the year, this has risen by 15 percentage points – from 49% to 64%.
The level of fear in Poland is among the highest in Europe – we are only surpassed by Italy (70%). For comparison, in the Netherlands, only 37% of consumers express concern about digital identity theft, in Germany 46%, and in the UK – 56%. The results for Japan are 70%, while in South Africa – 87%. The global average is 61% – in 2023 it was 55%.
The growing awareness of native consumers in the field of virtual threats arising from the use of digital products and services is confirmed by a significant increase in concern about catching a virus. Over the year, the percentage of affirmative answers in Poland increased by 15 percentage points – from 43% to 58%. A double-digit result was also recorded in unwanted phone calls or text messages area – from 36% to 47%.
Despite this, 62% of Poles are ready to provide personal data – including those enabling identification – in exchange for personalised offers and promotions from brands they had previously contacted. The percentage of positive responses increased by 8 percentage points over the year – from 54%. Moreover, this result is 34 points higher than the global average of 28%.
“We are very pleased that the activities increasing public awareness about digital threats carried out by public administration bodies and commercial entities are beneficial. So far, however, this mainly translates into increased vigilance against emails about inheritance or calls from grandchildren. The next step is to understand that caution should always be exercised. The development of artificial intelligence makes the information consumers share online can be used to create deep fakes and carry out hacker attacks not only on their loved ones but also on their companies,” says Piotr Ciepiela, EY Partner, Leader of the cybersecurity area in the EMEIA region.
Polish consumers, much more than those from other European countries, also express concerns that the company to which they have provided their data will be attacked by hackers. In Poland, 53% of respondents express this concern. For comparison, in Finland, it is 33%, in Germany – 41%, France – 47%, and the UK – 49%. The situation is similar in Italy and Spain (52%). It is therefore not surprising that 67% of consumers in Poland plan to pay more attention to which brands they share their data with.
Poland also surpasses the majority of European countries in terms of concerns about possible unauthorized data exploration. On the banks of the Vistula, 47% of the respondents answered the question positively. This is more than in Germany (40%) or France (45%), but less than in the UK (50%). For comparison, in Japan this percentage amounted to 64%, in Korea – 61%, and the USA – 58%.
About the study
The EY Future Consumer Index tracks changing consumer moods and behaviours across different time horizons and global markets, identifying emerging consumer segments. The 14th edition of the study, conducted at the turn of the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2024, involved over 23,000 consumers from both Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Oceania. In the case of Poland, there were 1,000 respondents aged 18-65.
Source: https://ceo.com.pl/polacy-boja-sie-o-swoje-dane-ale-chetnie-je-udostepniaja-w-zamian-za-korzysci-82568
