UK consumers are increasingly opting to block the use of cookies or hide personal information from advertisers when using the internet, new research into online privacy behaviour has revealed.
According to “Tipping Point” research produced by Nano Interactive in partnership with Censuswide, 70% of internet users are now blocking cookies or otherwise masking their personal information on a weekly basis. This includes browsing in private or incognito mode, using Safari as their main browser or regularly clearing their cookie cache.
People who use private browsing are spending a significant amount of time doing so, with these users spending on average, nearly half of their time online. The problem has grown in the last twelve months with almost a third saying they are spending more time browsing privately compared to a year ago.
When asked why they had become more conscious about online privacy in recent years, ad tracking was cited as the number one reason. Over 40% said this had made them more privacy conscious in the past three years, more than data breaches or being targeted by online scammers.
The data is further evidence of the challenges that are being faced by advertisers as the marketing world undergoes significant transformation. Consumers haven’t just become more aware of how their own data is being used for targeted advertising but are actively taking steps to prevent this from happening. In addition, various regulations and browser updates are limiting the use of third-party cookies making it increasingly difficult for advertisers to track users’ behaviour and gather the necessary data for targeted ads.
Of the 2000 people surveyed in the report the vast majority believe that advertisers need a new approach with over 60% saying they should find a better way to make ads relevant that does not rely on collecting personal information.
There is, however, opportunity for those advertisers that can tap into this sentiment More than half of the people surveyed said they would be more likely to choose a brand if it could prove it never collected or used any personal information for advertising.
