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Companies have been trying to find the consumer trust line when it comes to security and privacy for a while now. Users want more features and better convenience, and companies want to supply those features and conveniences – but there’s a fine line they must not cross for fear of making user angry. Where exactly is that line? It seems to shift all the time, but a recent survey by Boston Consulting Group will give you a better idea of what users hold sacred. TIME boils down some of the stats:
Among younger millennials (18 to 24), 60% consider Internet surfing history to be moderately or extremely private, while 61% of older millennials (25 to 34) and 60% of Gen-Xers (35 to 48) hold the same view. Only 51% of Baby Boomers (49 to 67) and 54% of Silents (68 and older) consider surfing history private. With respect to information about your exact location—the geolocating data that helps guide you to your destination and guide advertisers to you—the young appear even more privacy-conscious than the old. Only 9% of younger millennials consider data on your exact location to be slightly or not very private, compared to 20% of Silents.
That last set of stats is particularly important – 91% of consumers aged 18-24 consider location information to be at least somewhat private. This is a big deal for a lot of apps as geolocating features play an increasingly larger role in a range of apps.
Does this mean your app can’t have a geolocating feature? Not at all. Instead, what you need to focus on is being transparent about that feature. Explain to your users what information is being collected, why you’re collecting it, how it’s being used (including if other companies have access to that information) and how it’s being stored. Give them a way to opt out of geolocation if it’s not an integral feature. If it’s a vital part of your app, do your best to assure your users that you value their privacy and take appropriate measures to keep private information safe. (If you want to know what users are saying about the privacy of your native app, check your Applause Score and dive into the Privacy attribute.)
Another important take away is paying attention to the opinions of your target market. While transparency is important across the board, you’ll want to place special emphasis on spreading your message if your target users are part of the Millennial generation. Contrary to the popular stereotype, Millennials do care about privacy and security. It may seem like they over-share and divulge personal information, thoughts and feelings on a whim, but that sharing is intentional and on their own terms. If you share their personal information, they’ll certainly share their anger at you with the world.
