Context
As part of its ‘Views of the public’ information, the ICO has published its 2026 Public Attitudes on Information Rights report. This year, Savanta, on behalf of the ICO, spoke to over 7,800 people by conducting conducted a 15-minute online survey to find out about people’s understanding and opinions of privacy and information rights. The report investigates how the public feels about their information rights, and how much trust they have in organisations to securely look after their personal information.
Key points to note and next actions
Some of the key highlights are:
- Public awareness of data protection rights is up to 77%.
- 76% have exercised one of their information rights.
- 51% are cautious about the privacy of their personal information.
- 18-34 year olds are more likely than 35-54 year olds and 55+ years old to say they have at least moderate trust in companies and organisations storing and using their personal information (63% vs. 56% and 54%).
- 40% said they chose to access a website for free with personalised ads and cookies.
- 88% have received a nuisance or spam message.
This research gives the ICO a clear picture of public understanding, priorities and trust in relation to information rights.