1 I.Background and Objectives On behalf of Lawyers.com, Ogilvy PR conducted a survey to better understand Americans’attitudes and behaviors toward sharing their personal information on social networks (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.). II.Methodology An online survey was conducted using the fi eld services of TNS. The study reached a national sample of 1,000 American adults ages 18 and older. The margin of error for the total sample is ±3.1% at the 95% con fidence level. This means that if we were to replicate the study, we would expect to get the same results (within 3.1 percentage points) 95 times out of 100. III.Media Highlights How much is too much? More than half of Americans who use social networking sites have seen people divulge too much personal information online. In fact, the majority of Americans that use social networking sites admit that they’ve posted their fi rst and last name (69%), photos ofthemselves (67%), or an email address (51%) on a social networking site. Sixteen percent of survey respondents have shared travel plans, seven percent have shared cell phone numbers, and 4 percent have even shared home addresses on a social networking site. Nearly half of Americans (46%) agree that sometimes it is hard to fi gure out what information to share and what to keep private. Four in ten Americans (40%) think it is alright for managers to monitor their employees’ personal tweets and Facebook pages, and that same amount ofAmericans who use social networking sites believe that losing their job because ofinformation they’ve posted on a social networking site could happen to them. Yet, over half of Americans (53%) agree that inappropriate comments or posts on social networking sites should not affect someone’s employment.Privacy Fears Even though the majority of Americans who use social networking sites say they’ve taken actions to protect their privacy on social networking sites (91%), four in ten Americans who use these sites (43%) admit that they typicall y just click “agree” without readi ng the entire terms & conditions on social networking sites. In addi tion: Three-quarters of Americans (76%) report that they worry that the privacy settings on social networking sites are not adequately p rotecting their personal information More than four in ten A mericans (44%) are concerned that the personal information they share online is being used agai nst them. One in five Americans who use social networking sites (21%) believe that their personal information (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.) has been accessed by people who take advantage of weak privacy settings on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
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8/8/2019 LDC Social Networking Scares Omnibus Survey Results
On behalf of Lawyers.com, Ogilvy PR conducted a survey to better understand Americans’
attitudes and behaviors toward sharing their personal information on social networks (e.g.,
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.).
II. Methodology
An online survey was conducted using the field services of TNS. The study reached a
national sample of 1,000 American adults ages 18 and older. The margin of error for thetotal sample is ±3.1% at the 95% confidence level. This means that if we were to replicate
the study, we would expect to get the same results (within 3.1 percentage points) 95 timesout of 100.
III.Media Highlights
How much is too much?More than half of Americans who use social networking sites have seen people divulge too
much personal information online. In fact, the majority of Americans that use socialnetworking sites admit that they’ve posted their first and last name (69%), photos of
themselves (67%), or an email address (51%) on a social networking site.Sixteen percent of survey respondents have shared travel plans, seven percent have
shared cell phone numbers, and 4 percent have even shared home addresses on a
social networking site.Nearly half of Americans (46%) agree that sometimes it is hard to figure out what
information to share and what to keep private.
Four in ten Americans (40%) think it is alright for managers to monitor theiremployees’ personal tweets and Facebook pages, and that same amount of Americans who use social networking sites believe that losing their job because of
information they’ve posted on a social networking site could happen to them. Yet,
over half of Americans (53%) agree that inappropriate comments or posts on socialnetworking sites should not affect someone’s employment.
Privacy Fears
Even though the majority of Americans who use social networking sites say they’ve taken
actions to protect their privacy on social networking sites (91%), four in ten Americans whouse these sites (43%) admit that they typically just click “agree” without reading the entire
terms & conditions on social networking sites. In addition:
Three-quarters of Americans (76%) report that they worry that the privacy settingson social networking sites are not adequately protecting their personal informationMore than four in ten Americans (44%) are concerned that the personal information
they share online is being used against them.One in five Americans who use social networking sites (21%) believe that theirpersonal information (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.) has been accessed
by people who take advantage of weak privacy settings on social networking sites
like Facebook and Twitter.
8/8/2019 LDC Social Networking Scares Omnibus Survey Results
In fact, Americans report several consequences as a result of sharing
information on social networking sites, with nearly one in ten having theirpersonal relationships affected.
o Nearly all Americans (94%) agree that at times, people divulge too much information
about themselves on social networking sites, with two-thirds strongly agreeing tothis statement (66%).
o Although nearly half of Americans (46%) agree that sometimes it is hard to figureout what information to share and what to keep private, many Americans (38%)
agree that people who share too much of their personal information online deserveto have their information used inappropriately.
38%
46%
94%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
People who share too
much of their personal
information online deserve
to have their information
used inappropriately
Sometimes it is hard to
figure out what information
to share and what to keep
private
At times, people divulge
too much information about
themselves on social
networking sites
Total
Americans
Many Americans believe people who share personaldetails online deserve the repercussions
Q9/Q18/Q20. Please read the following statements and indicate whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each statement.
% Agree (Strongly/Somewhat)
8/8/2019 LDC Social Networking Scares Omnibus Survey Results
o Over a quarter of Americans who use social networking sites (28%) report negativeconsequences, including receiving spam (14%), a computer virus (7%), or
spyware/malware (5%) as a result of sharing information on a social networking site.
o Alarmingly, one in ten Americans (14%) who use social networking sites say thatthey’ve received communication from strangers as a result of sharing information on
a social networking site.
0%
0%
1%
1%
5%
7%
14%
14%
28%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Fired from your company
Threatened with a lawsuit
Identity theft
Received a warning at work
Received spyware or malware
Received a computer virus
Communication with strangers
Received spam
At least one of these NET
Americans who usesocial networking
sites
Top consequences from sharing information on social networkingsites include spam and unwanted contact from strangers
Q4. Which, if any, of the following has ever happened to you as a result of sharing information on a social networking site?
8/8/2019 LDC Social Networking Scares Omnibus Survey Results
Despite having experienced negative effects of posting personal information onsocial networking sites, Americans admit that they seldom think about the
consequences of sharing personal information online.o Over a quarter of Americans who use social networking sites (28%) admit that they
rarely think about what could happen if they shared too much personal informationonline.
28%
0% 20% 40% 60%
I rarely think about
what could happen
if I shared too
much personal
information online
Americans who
use social
networking s ites
Many Americans don’t think about the consequences of sharing personal information online
Q11. Please read the following statements and indicate whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each statement.
% Agree (Strongly/Somewhat)
o In addition, 40 percent of Americans who use social networking sites believe thatlosing their job because of information they’ve posted on a social networking site
(e.g., Facebook, Twitter) could happen to them.
40%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Losing my job
because of
information I've
posted on a social
networking site
(e.g., Facebook,
Twitter) could
never happen to
me
Americans whouse social
networking sites
Many Americans believe that losing their job over posts
on social networking sites could happen to them
Q16. Please read the following statements and indicate whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each statement.
% Disagree
(Strongly/Somewhat)
8/8/2019 LDC Social Networking Scares Omnibus Survey Results
o The majority of Americans who use social networking sites say they’ve taken actions
to protect their privacy on social networking sites (91%), with the top action beinglimiting the information they put up on their page or profile (73%).
o Six in ten Americans report that they have restricted strangers from viewing certain
information (61%), restricted access to their page or profile (59%), or changed orcustomized privacy settings (58%).
o Many Americans also limit the amount of information they post on their friends’ pages (53%), delete unwanted comments (38%), or remove unwanted photos or
images (25%).
9%
1%
25%
38%
53%
58%
59%
61%
73%
91%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
None of these
Other
Remove unwanted photos or images
Delete unwanted comments
Limit the amount of information you post on your friends'
pages
Change or customize privacy settings
Restrict access to your page or profile
Restrict strangers from viewing certain information
Limit the information you put up on your page or profile
At least one of these NET
Americans who use
social networking
sites
The majority of Americans have taken steps to
protecting their privacy on social networking sites
Q6. Which, if any, of the following actions have you taken to protect your privacy on social networking sites?
8/8/2019 LDC Social Networking Scares Omnibus Survey Results
o Six in ten Americans that use social networking sites report that they update their
privacy settings on the social networking sites that they use once a month or lessoften (61%), with one in five saying that they never update their privacy settings
(21%).
o Only 39% of Americans that use social networking sites say that they update theirprivacy setting frequently (once a month or more often).
21%
3%
9%
28%
16%
10%
4%
4%
5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Never
Once every couple of years
Once a year
A few times a year
Once a month
A few times a month
Once a week
A few times a week
Daily
Americans who
use socialnetworking s ites
One in five Americans never update their privacysettings on the social networking sites that they use
Q5. In general, how often do you update your privacy settings on the social networking sites that you use?
Once a month ormore often NET:
39%
Less often thanonce a month NET:
61%
8/8/2019 LDC Social Networking Scares Omnibus Survey Results
Alarmingly, many believe that their personal information may have alreadybeen retrieved.
o One in five Americans who use social networking sites (21%) believe that their
personal information (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.) has been accessedby people who take advantage of weak privacy settings on social networking sites
like Facebook and Twitter.
o Four in ten Americans who use social networking sites (39%) admit that they are not
sure if their personal information (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.) has beenaccessed by people who take advantage of weak privacy settings on social
networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Yes, 21%
No, 40%
Not sure, 39%
One in five Americans believe their personalinformation has already been exploited
Q7. Do you believe that your personal information (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.) has ever been accessed by people who take advantage of weak privacy settings on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter?
Base: Americanswho use social
networking sites
8/8/2019 LDC Social Networking Scares Omnibus Survey Results
Americans think it’s acceptable for managers to read employees’ personal
tweets and Facebook pages but don’t believe it should affect their employment.
o Although four in ten Americans (40%) agree that it is alright for managers tomonitor their employees’ personal tweets and Facebook pages, many (44%) admit
that they would feel uncomfortable having their manager read their personal tweetsor Facebook page.
o Still, over half of Americans (53%) agree that inappropriate comments or posts onsocial networking sites should not affect someone’s employment.
40%
44%
53%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
It is all right for managersto monitor their
employees’ personaltweets and Facebook
pages
I would feeluncomfortable having my
manager read mypersonal tweets or
Facebook page
Inappropriate commentsor posts on socialnetworking sites should
not affect someone’semployment
TotalAmericans
Four in ten Americans think it’s okay for managers to
read employees’ personal tweets and Facebook pages
Q13 - Q15. Please read the following statements and indicate whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each statement.
