GDPR: Corporate Accountability Most Important to UK Consumers

Following on from yesterday’s chart, demonstrating how 76% of UK consumers aware of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) describe it as being extremely or very important to them in relation to their digital lives, today’s chart outlines why these consumers feel this way.

When asked to explain why the GDPR is important to them, it’s the desire to see companies being held accountable for their actions (58%) which tops the list, and by some distance.

It’s also very clear that UK consumers are anxious to have more of a say before and after their personal data has been collected online. 4 in 10 ascribe the right to permanently delete data from a company’s records, and the need for explicit consent to be gained before collecting data, to the importance of the GDPR. That’s in line with our ongoing research showing mainstream concerns about data, with over 6 in 10 in the UK stating that they worry about how their personal data is used by companies.

At the bottom of our list, it’s just over 1 in 4 who believe the GDPR is important because they do not trust companies to collect their data without these regulations. What this can tell us is that the majority of UK consumers do not inherently mistrust companies with their personal data, but they do demand a greater degree of liability to minimise the risk of data misuse.