Survey: Americans uncomfortable with new surveillance technologies

Computerworld - Perhaps you were chosen for additional airport screening while rushing to catch a flight. Or you noticed a video camera watching your every move the last time you entered a bank, shopping mall or department store. Responses vary when people are confronted with actions aimed at improving security or service, which may also affect their privacy. We recently conducted a survey seeking opinions about several different surveillance methods:

• Government monitoring of e-mail and Internet usage
• Employer monitoring of e-mail and Internet use
• Video cameras in public restrooms
• Passenger screening at airports
• One-way mirrors or video cameras in store dressing rooms
• Hidden traffic cameras
• Spyware on PCs
• Government wiretaps of phone calls
• Companies recording customer-service phone conversations
• Electronic radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in products
• Implanted chips to verify identity

Overall, our findings suggest that Americans have mixed feelings about being watched and tracked. Of most concern:

• About 90% of respondents said "no" to or that they were "unsure" about the use of telephone wiretaps by government.
• More than 85% said "no" or "unsure" about software on their PCs that monitors Internet browsing or shopping behavior.
• More than 70% said "no" or "unsure" to the use of RFID in products that could be used to track identity from short distances.
• Almost all respondents disliked the idea of the government implanting chips in people for identity verification.

Practices of least concern:

• Two-thirds do not appear to mind having their telephone conversations recorded when contacting customer service representatives.
• About 57% are willing to accept employers monitoring e-mail and Internet activities in the workplace.
• More than 57% of respondents do not seem to mind if the police department uses hidden cameras to monitor traffic or speeding.
• Over half of respondents don't mind being chosen for additional passenger screening at an airport.
• About 49% don't worry about retailers using one-way mirrors or video cameras in store dressing rooms.
• More than 31% of respondents are "unsure" about the use of video cameras in public restrooms for preventing illegal or dangerous acts. About 29% are not concerned.

A total of 889 people across all regions of the U.S. participated in our survey, which represents an 11% response rate. The margin of error is 2%.

The chart below shows the five most negatively viewed surveillance methods in our survey. Each bar reflects the percentage of respondents who stated that this method or mode of surveillance is never acceptable to them.

Percentage of Respondents Who Believe that this Form of Surveillance is Never Acceptable