Report by Malwarebytes

72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…

23 FINDINGSPublished Apr 9, 2025
View Original Report →

Key Findings

69% of respondents said they use "multifactor authentication," or MFA.

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerMFA

89% of people are "concerned about my data being used by AI tools without my consent".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerAIAI tools

Aside from the 89% of people concerned about their data being "accessed and used inappropriately by the government," another 50% said they were concerned about wrongful government access of their "private conversations".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuseGovernment

87% of people "support national laws regulating how companies can collect, store, share, or use our personal data".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuseLawsPrivacy laws

60% feel that "we will never have simple, meaningful ways to protect our data".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuse

44% said they "stopped using Instagram".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuseInstagram

45% said they "stopped using X" (formerly Twitter).

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuseXTwitter

23% use a data removal service to help clean up any personal information that is easily found online.

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Data removalData removal serviceConsumerPersonal informationData misuse

47% of people said they "stopped using TikTok".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuseTikTok

37% said they "stopped using Facebook".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuseFacebook

69% of people said they "use an ad blocker for online browsing".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuseAd blockerBrowsing

43% of people said they use identity theft protection solutions.

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerIdentity theft protection

72% agreed or strongly agreed that they are "concerned about my personal data being accessed and used inappropriately by the government".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Data misusePersonal informationGovernmentConsumer

70% of people "feel resigned that my personal data is already out there, and I can’t get it back".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misusePersonal information exposureData exposure

70% believe "we will never have simple, meaningful ways to protect our data".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuse

More than 40% of people have stopped using either TikTok, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter).

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Data misusePersonal informationTikTokInstagramX

26% stopped using a fertility or period tracking app.

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Data misusePersonal informationFertility appPeriod tracking appConsumer

77% of people said that "many online transactions today, from purchases to downloads to creating new accounts, feel like ploys to take my data".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerOnline transactions

42% said they use a VPN.

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerVPN

89% of people "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they are "concerned about my personal data being used inappropriately by corporations".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Data misusePersonal informationConsumer

60% of respondents did not agree that they have "become less vigilant about my data privacy and security because there is little I can do these days".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Personal informationConsumerData misuse

72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government.

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Data misusePersonal informationConsumer

75% said they "opt out of data collection, as possible".

Malwarebytes72% of people are worried their data is being misused by the government, and that’s not all…·Apr 9, 2025
Data collectionPersonal informationConsumer