EMC Advocates Best Practices for Consumers on World Social Media Day

On the occasion of World Social Media Day, EMC India recommends best practices for consumers to protect their privacy online. These recommendations come further to the launch of EMC’s inaugural Privacy Index, the first macro study on consumer sentiment across the globe that reveals that not only are concerns for future online privacy high but despite having suffered a data breach, many say they are not taking measures to protect themselves.
Among Indian respondents, 59% say they expect privacy to erode over the next five years; while 51% say they have less privacy than a year ago. Further, 64% Indian respondents have suffered a data breach (email account hacked; mobile device lost or stolen; social media account hacked; and more).
 For consumers, therefore the study reinforces the need to increase their awareness of privacy issues and to take personal action to protect their own privacy.
 The EMC Privacy Index is a global study that assesses consumer attitudes of online privacy. Spanning 15 countries and 15,000 consumers (that includes a 1000 consumers from India), the study reveals consumers hold viewpoints on privacy that vary widely by geography and the type of activity engaged in while online. 
The long-standing debate over how much visibility governments and businesses should have regarding people’s private activities, communications and behaviors has continued into the online world. The EMC Privacy Index explores how consumers worldwide view their online privacy rights and measures willingness to forfeit the benefits and conveniences of the connected world for the assurances of privacy.