Insights · Privacy data
How many people are concerned about their data privacy?
Most of them. 86% of Americans call data privacy a growing concern, 79% worry about how companies use their data, and 73% feel they have little or no control over it. Here are the data-privacy-concerns statistics that matter for 2026, with sources and our own analysis.
Last updated: July 15, 2026 · Figures are cited from the sources listed at the end.
- 86% of Americans say data privacy is a growing concern (KPMG)
- 79% are concerned about how companies use the data collected about them (Pew)
- 81% feel the risks of companies collecting their data outweigh the benefits (Pew)
- 73% feel they have little or no control over what companies do with their data (Pew, 2023)
- 71% are concerned about how the government uses their data — up from 64% in 2019 (Pew)
- 67% understand little to nothing about what companies do with their data (Pew, 2023)
- 402.74 million TB of data are created every day worldwide (Statista)
- Worldwide data volume grew +182% from 2020 to 2025 — about 23% a year noKYCme analysis
- 76% would not buy from a company they do not trust with their data (Cisco)
- Yet 56% still frequently agree to privacy policies without reading them noKYCme analysis
Worry about data privacy has quietly become the majority view. People do not just dislike being tracked — most now believe they have lost control of their information entirely. Below are the most reliable numbers on how concerned people are, why, and how much data is being collected in the first place, with our own analysis on top.
86% of Americans say data privacy is a growing concern.
How many people are concerned about their data privacy?
Concern is now the majority position: 86% of Americans say data privacy is a growing concern, and roughly 8 in 10 are worried about how companies use the data collected about them. The Pew Research Center puts concern about company data use at 79% and concern about government data use at 71% — and both have risen over time.
This is not a fringe or tech-savvy worry any more. Across age groups, incomes and political lines, a clear majority say the same thing: too much is collected, they do not know what happens to it, and they cannot do much about it.
How much data is actually being collected?
About 402.74 million terabytes of data are created every day, and worldwide data volume is on track to reach roughly 181 zettabytes in 2025 — nearly triple the 2020 figure. The more that is generated, the more is collected, stored, brokered and eventually leaked.
| Year | Data created worldwide | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 64.2 zettabytes | — |
| 2021 | 79 zettabytes | +23% |
| 2022 | 97 zettabytes | +23% |
| 2023 | 120 zettabytes | +24% |
| 2024 | 149 zettabytes | +24% |
| 2025* | 181 zettabytes | +21% |
* projected. Source: Statista / IDC "Volume of data created worldwide".
* projected. Source: Statista / IDC.
Worldwide data volume grew from 64.2 to about 181 zettabytes between 2020 and 2025 — a +182% rise, or a compound rate of roughly 23% a year. People's sense of control has not moved in the same direction; if anything it has fallen. When the amount collected roughly triples in five years and understanding drops, concern is not paranoia — it is a rational read of the trend.
402.74 million TB of new data are created every single day.
Why are people concerned? The major reasons
The dominant reason is a loss of control, followed by not knowing what is collected and a sense that data is less safe than before. When Pew asked Americans how they feel about their personal data, the answers cluster around powerlessness rather than any single villain.
Source: Pew Research Center (2019-2023).
| What Americans feel about their data | % who agree |
|---|---|
| The risks of company data collection outweigh the benefits | 81% |
| They have little or no control over data companies collect | 81% |
| Concerned about how companies use their data | 79% |
| Concerned about how the government uses their data | 71% |
| Their data is less secure than it was five years ago | 70% |
| Understand little to nothing about what companies do with it | 67% |
Source: Pew Research Center, "Americans and Privacy" (2019) and "Views of Data Privacy" (2023).
Who are Americans most worried about — companies or the government?
Companies edge out the government as the bigger worry: 79% are concerned about how companies use their data, versus 71% for the government. But the gap is narrowing — government concern jumped from 64% in 2019 to 71% in 2023, the fastest-rising figure in the whole dataset.
Concern about government data use rose 7 percentage points (64% to 71%) in four years — a +11% relative increase — while concern about companies stayed roughly flat at the top of the range. The worry is broadening from "advertisers" to "institutions in general."
Do people feel in control of their own data?
No — and that is the heart of the issue. 73% of Americans feel they have little or no control over what companies do with their data, and 67% understand little to nothing about it. Feeling watched is one thing; feeling powerless to do anything about it is what turns concern into resignation.
That resignation shows up in behaviour: 56% frequently click "agree" on privacy policies without reading them, and 61% feel it is pointless to try to manage their privacy because it will not make a difference. The consent model is broken, and people know it. When the only realistic choice is "accept everything or leave", most people accept — not because they do not care, but because the alternative is to stop using services they depend on.
73% feel they have little or no control over what companies do with their data.
Has concern about data privacy grown over time?
Yes. On almost every measure Pew tracks, concern rose or held near its ceiling between 2019 and 2023 — while understanding fell.
| Measure | 2019 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concerned about how government uses their data | 64% | 71% | +7pp |
| Understand little/nothing about company data use | 59% | 67% | +8pp |
| Feel little/no control over company data | 81% | 73% | −8pp |
Source: Pew Research Center (2019, 2023). Note: the "control" question wording shifted slightly between surveys.
Does concern actually change what people do?
Sometimes — but a "privacy paradox" holds people back: they say they care, yet keep clicking agree. The strongest behavioural signal is commercial: 76% say they would not buy from a company they do not trust with their data (Cisco), and 30% refuse to share personal data for any reason (KPMG). Trust is now a purchasing factor, not a nicety.
Sources: KPMG, Cisco, Pew Research Center.
| Attitude or behaviour | % of adults | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Say data privacy is a growing concern | 86% | KPMG |
| Would not buy from a company they distrust with data | 76% | Cisco |
| Frequently agree to privacy policies without reading | 56% | Pew |
| Refuse to share personal data for any reason | 30% | KPMG |
Sources: KPMG, Cisco, Pew Research Center. US and global samples — see methodology.
Line these up and the paradox is visible in one chart: 86% call privacy a growing concern, 76% will walk away from a distrusted brand — yet 56% still agree to policies unread. The takeaway is not that people are hypocrites; it is that the tools for acting on concern are deliberately painful. When a genuinely private option is easy, people take it.
Who do people actually trust with their data?
Very few institutions. 77% of Americans have little or no trust that leaders of social media companies would publicly take responsibility for misusing personal data (Pew), and 40% do not trust companies to use their data ethically at all (KPMG). Distrust, not indifference, is the default — which is exactly why services that collect less and promise less stand out.
What can people actually do about data privacy?
The one lever individuals fully control is how much data they hand over in the first place. You cannot audit every company that buys your information, but you can shrink how much of it exists: use services that do not demand an identity, pay with methods that are not tied to your name, give a throwaway email instead of your real one, and turn on multi-factor authentication or passkeys so a leaked password is not enough on its own.
None of this is perfect, but every step removes data that cannot later be sold, leaked, or handed over. It is also why "no-KYC" services matter beyond crypto: a provider that never collects your ID has nothing to lose in a breach and nothing to sell. The less an organisation knows about you, the less your privacy depends on it behaving well — which, given that 40% of people do not trust companies to behave well, is the more reliable bet.
How do we know these numbers? (methodology)
The main reason data-privacy statistics disagree is question wording and sample. "Are you concerned?" reliably scores higher than "have you changed your behaviour?", and a US-only survey (Pew, KPMG US) will differ from a global one (Cisco). Three things to keep straight:
- Attitude vs behaviour. 86% "concerned" and 56% "click agree unread" are both true — one measures feeling, the other measures friction. That gap is the privacy paradox, not a contradiction.
- Wording matters. "Little or no control", "risks outweigh benefits", and "concerned" are different questions that produce different numbers; we label which is which rather than blending them.
- US vs global. Pew and KPMG figures here are US adults; Cisco is global. We note the scope of each so cross-survey comparisons stay honest.
Why this matters — and what you can do. The numbers say the same thing from every angle: people feel they have lost control of their data. The one lever an individual still controls is how much data they hand over in the first place. Services that ask for less — no ID, no email, no needless account — give attackers and brokers less to hold. That is the whole case for the no-KYC options we audit: see our audited no-KYC VPNs and the methodology behind how we rate them.
FAQ
Data privacy concerns — common questions.
How many people are concerned about their data privacy?
Concern is now the majority position. 86% of Americans say data privacy is a growing concern (KPMG), 79% are concerned about how companies use the data collected about them, and 71% are concerned about how the government uses it (Pew Research Center).
What percentage of Americans are worried about their data being stolen or misused?
A clear majority. 81% of Americans feel the potential risks of companies collecting their data outweigh the benefits, 73% feel they have little or no control over what companies do with their data, and 70% feel their personal data is less secure than it was five years ago (Pew Research Center).
What are people most concerned about with their data?
The biggest concerns are loss of control (73-81% feel they have little or none), companies and governments using data in ways they cannot see (79% and 71% respectively), not understanding what is collected (67% understand little to nothing), and the sense that data is less secure than before (70%). Underlying all of them is identity theft and financial fraud.
How much data is collected about the average person?
A staggering amount. About 402.74 million terabytes of data are created every day, worldwide data volume is on track to hit roughly 181 zettabytes in 2025, and large data brokers are commonly reported to hold thousands of individual data points on each consumer.
Is concern about data privacy increasing?
Yes. Between Pew Research surveys in 2019 and 2023, concern about how the government uses data rose from 64% to 71%, and the share who understand little to nothing about what companies do with their data rose from 59% to 67% — concern is climbing even as understanding falls.
Does concern actually change behaviour?
Partly — this is the "privacy paradox." 76% say they would not buy from a company they do not trust with their data (Cisco) and 30% refuse to share personal data for any reason (KPMG), yet 56% still frequently agree to privacy policies without reading them (Pew). People care, but the system makes acting on it hard.
Sources
Where the numbers come from.
- Pew Research Center — "Americans and Privacy" (2019) & "Views of Data Privacy" (2023) · pewresearch.org
- KPMG — Corporate Data Responsibility: Bridging the consumer trust gap · kpmg.com
- Cisco — Consumer Privacy Survey · cisco.com
- Statista / IDC — Volume of data created worldwide · statista.com
Derived statistics are labelled noKYCme analysis and computed only between sourced figures — we never invent a data point.