Are You Fed Up with Big Tech? Survey Reveals 86% of Americans Don't Trust Big Tech Companies
More than 90% believe Facebook, Twitter and Google have too much influence on politics.
83% of survey participants think their smart speakers are listening all the time.
84% of people surveyed want their children to be over the age of 15 to use Instagram.
LOS ANGELES, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a national survey conducted by The Kim Komando Show that polled 6,351 people across the U.S., 86% of participants no longer trust Big Tech companies. The poll underscores the growing concerns surrounding the power and influence Big Tech companies have on society and the little confidence Americans have in the tech power players.
Key survey findings revealed that:
- 82.73% of those polled say they think smart speakers listen to what you say all of the time instead of only when you use the "wake" words. Kim recently explored how users can stop smart devices from listening to you and recording what you say.
- Nearly 60% fear their smartphone is spying on their activity and have had advertisements populate for something they were just discussing. Thankfully, Kim explained in a recent "Daily Tech Update" episode that this phenomenon is likely dumb luck!
- 84% of survey participants believe targeted ads that are based on browser history to be invasive. Good news, Komando.com recently recommended a privacy tip to say "no thanks" to personalized ads.
- Participants surveyed believe Big Tech has too much influence on politics, with Facebook and Twitter each at 92%.
- 67% of Facebook users would be willing to delete their account knowing that the social media platform tracks everything, sells data and cannot control what is posted on the site. If this applies to you, Kim discusses how exactly you can delete your Facebook (and Twitter) profiles for good.
- 92% of people surveyed think Google knows too much information about their personal lives. To combat this, Kim has rounded up alternatives to Google that won't track your information.
"Since the onset of COVID-19, Big Tech companies have seen accelerated demand as the world has shifted to a more digitalized landscape. Across the board, the survey demonstrated that a majority of individuals worry that Big Tech has too much influence or know too much about our personal information, yet nearly 4 billion people use social media worldwide and the numbers continue to grow," said digital-lifestyle expert Kim Komando, the talk radio and podcast host known for the popular The Kim Komando Show. "I do have hope that Americans are finally waking up to the fact that when a product is free, they are in fact the product."
In addition to gathering an understanding of Americans' most recent perception of Big Tech companies, the survey found that 76% used Google daily, followed by Microsoft (60%), Apple (49%), and Facebook (45%). Of the people surveyed, 40% reportedly used Amazon daily with 89% active shoppers on Amazon.com.
"Interestingly, with the world becoming more digitalized and the news of Instagram for Kids, more than 84% of people surveyed said they would prefer their children to be over the age of 15 in order to use Instagram. Maybe we are starting to see the damage social media does to our adult lives and how it's robbing children of a healthy, happy start to their own," Kim Komando added.
The national survey was disseminated to subscribers to The Kim Komando Show newsletters and 6,351 individuals across the United States participated.
To hear the latest from Kim Komando, you can visit her website at Komando.com.
About Kim Komando
Kim Komando is one of America's most successful radio hosts and web entrepreneurs, and a trusted source for digital-lifestyle and technology that helps improve individuals' daily lives. Largely known for her popular "The Kim Komando Show," the largest weekend radio show in the country which airs weekly across 400 stations to an estimated 6.5 million listeners, Kim Komando is also a star in the talk-radio and podcast community. She received the Gracie Award for Outstanding Program Host in 2007, and she was named Talker magazine's "Woman of the Year" in 2009. Additionally, she was a speaker at Fortune's 2009 Most Powerful Woman Summit and spoke at a NASA conference on cyber security. She covers everything from the latest gadgets and breaking tech news, to privacy tips to help you stay safe and secure when you're online. According to Kim, "It's not about techies and computer troubleshooting anymore. It's now about a lifestyle – the lifestyle of a digital age." Her "Daily Tech Update" reports are heard around the world, and her website, Komando.com, along with her consumer-technology newsletters, and e-books reach millions of readers and listeners.
Media Contact Information
Jackie Dadas-Kraper
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SOURCE The Kim Komando Show
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