90% of netizens fear excessive data grabs, hacks

Nearly 90 percent of netizens who responded to a survey on personal data safety when using mobile applications said they fear excessive data collection, according to survey results released Wednesday by the Beijing Consumer Association.

A total of 3,380 consumers were surveyed across the country via various online platforms.

Among them, 89.62 percent said they felt their personal data have been overly collected, while 79.23 percent were concerned about a data hack.

Many respondents said they believe the purpose of requiring personal information while using mobile apps is for advertising, information exchange, or for other customer services.

The information most collected via mobile apps included contact details, names and profile pictures, and the survey found that ID number and bank account are the top pieces of information that individuals feel most reluctant to provide.

However, in spite of rising fears over online fraud, 41.16 percent of those surveyed said they never checked the authorization notice of every new app they download.

The survey found that after personal data was leaked, only 35 percent would lodge complaints to authorities, while 26.54 percent would just accept the bad luck.

The report suggested that more relevant laws be made and enforced, stronger surveillance and management take place, and enterprises take more responsibility to build a safer app network.

Zhang Yangfei contributed to this story.