British users are losing faith in many of the most popular apps on the market today over concerns their data is being misused.
A study by Open-Xchange found that nearly a third (32 percent) would be happy to stop using products and services developed by Facebook - with a further 14 percent saying this extended to WhatsApp and Instagram.
In contrast, only 11 percent of UK users would stop using Huawei products, despite repeated accusations that the Chinese firm is engaged in surveillance practices.
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Other technology giants fared better in the survey, with only 10 percent actively looking to stop using services/products developed by Google. A further 11 percent of UK consumers said they are actively looking to stop using products or services developed by Apple.
Overall though, it seems that many consumers have serious trust issues when it comes to sharing their data online, with just six percent saying that big tech firms ‘completely’ respect their right to privacy online.
Over half (58 percent) said they do not trust the big messaging platform providers with their personal data, and a similar amount (63 percent) answering ‘no’ when asked whether or not they believe that the big messaging platforms respect their privacy rights.
In total, just five percent of Britons state that they ‘completely’ trust these firms when it comes to how they handle their data.
“Today's biggest privacy risks arguably come from the big messaging platform providers," said Rafael Laguna, CEO of Open-Xchange. "These businesses are essentially utilities that we rely upon for personal and business communications; yet for a huge proportion of us, trust in these firms is at an all-time low."
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