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Most users of Facebook and Google had fundamental gaps inunderstanding, even after reading privacy policies, about how thewebsites handled their information and how other Web users coulddiscover it, according to a study released by the digital brandingfirm Siegel+Gale [cq]. Users understood the privacy policies less well than they didgovernment documents or bank card agreements, the study said. Theyearned comprehension scores between 35 and 40 out of 100 for bothpolicies. The survey asked just over 400 people to read thecompanies' policies and then answer questions about them online. "We forced users to pay attention to this, but even through forcingthem to pay attention, they still couldn t understand what was inthese privacy policies and were failing to grasp the basicinformation that was supposed to be communicated," said BrianRafferty [cq], global director of insight at Siegel+Gale. The study is hardly the first to find that users are uneasy withhow much of their information becomes public through their use ofwebsites and mobile applications. It is among a growing body ofresearch demonstrating the ineffectiveness of privacy policystatements as a way to keep users informed about how their data isused. After reading the policies, just 23 percent understood that theirGoogle+ profile is visible to anyone online. Just 30 percent knewthat even with the strictest privacy settings activated, theirFacebook user names remain public. The study also pointed to problems with Google's efforts earlierthis year to notify users that it was consolidating the privacypolicies for its diverse services. Less than half of usersunderstood that the company's privacy policy related to their useof YouTube and Google Maps. A Google spokesman called the company's user education campaign"the most extensive notification effort in Google s history." The study suggests that informing users within the app or websitehow their information is being shared is a better way to safeguardprivacy. Justin Brookman [cq], director of the Project on Consumer Privacyat the Center for Democracy and Technology, agreed. "Privacy policies are not a great way to inform users," he said. "When I'm trying to figure out a privacy question on Facebook, I goto the help center or FAQs or whatever it is," Brookman said. "Idon't ever go to the privacy policy. Same thing with Google." Brookman pointed out that both Google and Facebook have begunincluding more intuitive notification methods. A Google spokesman pointed to those features, and said its "privacycenter, published FAQs, Help Center articles, Good to Know websiteand in-product notifications help explain what data we collect,how we use it and how people can manage their information." Facebook has also moved toward including more information about howusers' information can be accessed. The company did not respond toa request for comment. Cameron Scott covers search, web services and privacy for The IDG News Service . Follow Cameron on Twitter at CScott_IDG . We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Canbus Converter , China Digital IO Controller for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Fiber Optic Transceivers.
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