• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, August 6, 2018

From Britain comes the news that 56% of all UK and Irish consumers have exercised their GDPR rights or are ready to do so. Most are turned off by the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, but they also have more mundane issues that bother them — like too much email, according to GDPR: The Right To Remain Private, a study by sponsored by SAS and conducted by 3GEM.

Of the consumers polled, 56.3% say they would opt out of data use if a firm sent them unwanted emails.

In addition, 54.2% would quit if they found their data had been sent to third parties. What’s more, 52% would leave if their data was used for inaccurate profiling, and 51.9% would opt out if a firm had inaccurate information on them.

In addition, 46% would demand erasure of data if a firm made a single mistake. And 38% would activate their rights of data were exposed in a breach.

Blame Facebook and Cambridge Analytica for this level of concern. Most consumers have been motivated by coverage of the scandal, and 68% now plan to restrict — or stop — personal data usage by companies.

Only 21% say that their view have not been affected by the flap. And a mere 11% were unaware of it. At the same time, 48% are aware of GDPR’s Right to Object.

SAS surveyed 1,000 consumers in the UK and 850 in the Republic of Ireland. While the sample is limited, we bet those attitudes are consistent with those in the U.S.

Some consumers are also nervous about technology, to the point where it could threaten modern marketing.  For instance, 505 would object if a bank used technology to refuse them a loan, to fix a mortgage rate or upgrade an account.

And insurance firms would face a 40% drop-out rate if people found the company had used automation to not grant them insurance or to process claims. In addition, 31% would rescind their consent if a retailer used their data to automation offers it sent to them.

The good news in this report is that younger consumers are less paranoid. Of the millennials polled, 47% say they are less likely to erase data with a company as long as they knew it won’t be shared without consent. In contrast, only 30% of those 55 and over eel the same way.

Want to win consumers’ trust? Assure them that their data will not be share with third parties — that would satisfy 37.7%. And 36.5% would want assurances that their data will not be issued in the future.