“This is turning into something much more significant than a standard data breach”
TORONTO – Canadian Facebook users familiar with recent news stories about Cambridge Analytica say that they will be less likely to engage with companies or brands on Facebook, according to a new survey from Toronto-based Audience Insights Inc.
The online survey, Canadians' Relationship With Facebook, Post-Cambridge Analytica, polled 1,510 Canadians aged 18+ last week. While only 3% of Facebook users aware of the story have taken steps to delete their account, nearly two thirds of Facebook users who remain active say they will be less likely to click on sponsored posts or ads. Meanwhile, six in 10 say they will be less inclined to ’like’ or interact with the pages of companies or brands.
Many respondents said that they have already changed their behaviour in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica story. More than four in 10 Facebook users aware of the Cambridge Analytica news story (43%) report they have taken some kind of action to secure their account, with 27% having changed their privacy settings and 23% saying they have reduced their use of Facebook.
The research also suggests that the fallout has potential impact on other online services, as roughly one-third of Facebook users familiar with the story say that it makes them more reluctant to engage with Google and Amazon (32% and 35% respectively), while nearly half (49%) say it will discourage them from engaging with the websites or mobile apps of “other companies or brands.”
“This is turning into something much more significant than a standard data breach,” said Audience Insights president Jeff Vidler, in the survey’s news release. “(I)t could have huge implications for Facebook’s business model and that of the other major digital players. People are waking up to the new ‘grand bargain’ of digital media – it’s no longer the traditional model of giving your attention to ads in exchange for free content. The new bargain is ‘give us your personal data’ in return for free content and services. And that’s starting to make a lot of folks nervous and protective.” (click on image below to enlarge)
Other survey findings include:
– Six-in-ten Canadians (60%) use Facebook daily, with 18-34 year-olds being the biggest daily users at 72%, followed by 35-54 year-olds (60%), and Canadians aged 55+ (52%);
– Nearly three-quarters (74%) have heard about the Cambridge Analytica news story, with those aged 55+ most likely to be aware of the story (84%);
– Most likely to report having taken protective action are younger Facebook users, with 49% of 18-34 year olds either changing their privacy settings (32%), reducing their use of Facebook (28%) and/or taking steps to delete their account (6%).
