The NSA leaks have changed how people view privacy

May 30, 2014 12:32 GMT  ·  By

The NSA leaks may not have changed much in terms of government policies, but they have certainly changed the way we all look at the Internet and the expectations we have from companies in terms of privacy.

In fact, a brand new survey indicates that more than 8 in 10 Internet users believe that their browsing history should be kept private.

The poll was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, as the one-year anniversary of the leaks approaches. 85 percent of people interviewed believe that it’s “fairly important,” “very important,” or “essential” to keep the browsing records private.

About 12 percent believe that this is not an important issue, despite all the implications that sharing such content can have.

Furthermore, a lot of the respondents have supported a call made by the Don’t Spy On Us campaign that demands that warrants for data collection of electronic communications should be signed by senior judges rather than politicians.

“This research clearly highlights that the British public has little faith that politicians are properly monitoring how the security services are using surveillance powers. The Deputy Prime Minister, the Shadow Home Secretary and the Home Affairs Committee have all recognized that our surveillance law needs reviewing and oversight needs to be much stronger. Those who claim everything is fine are looking increasingly ridiculous,” said Emma Carr, acting director of Big Brother Watch.

An even more important number in the survey represents the people who believe that it’s necessary to keep the content of their emails private. 44 percent of people believe this to be “Essential,” 35 percent believe it’s “very important,” and 13 percent believe it’s “Fairly important,” adding up to 91 percent. Only 6 percent disregard the importance of the content within their emails.

Similarly, 88 percent of respondents believe it’s important to keep their phone records safe, while 80 percent believe it’s essential to keep the location of their mobile devices hidden. These numbers are quite important, considering the NSA and other intelligence agencies collecting metadata like it’s nothing. The number raises even more, to 93 percent, when it comes to the actual content of their phone calls.

When it comes to the confidence people have in tech companies to protect their personal information, the results paint a sad picture. Only a bit over 41 percent believe that webmail services like Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo will keep their data safe, while the rest don’t really trust these companies enough.