Probing Americans’ Complicated Relationship with Technology and Privacy
In the first few weeks of President Trump’s new term, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has moved to access data from the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Social Security Administration, potentially unlocking the personal information of millions of Americans. The overall concern, including lawsuits filed by state governments and labor unions, was captured in the recent New York Times article “Struggle Over Americans’ Personal Data Plays Out Across the Government.”
Amid the alarm and legal battles, the American Communities Project sought to better understand Americans’ feelings and behaviors on technology and privacy generally and government and business specifically, based on questions about technology attitudes in the latest MRI-Simmons consumer survey of American households taken between September 2021 and August 2023, and then segmented into the ACP’s 15 community types in fall 2024.
The analysis reveals that Americans across the 15 community types have a deeply dependent if sometimes uncomfortable relationship with technology and the Internet. Also, by and large, Americans do not express trust in the federal government to protect their privacy. But across the board, they do not feel they can take action if their personal information appears online. To be in such sync on important issues seems rare and worth watching now. It’s hard to know if and how these numbers will move post DOGE. In many ways, the numbers should be viewed as a pre-DOGE baseline.
Tech Ubiquity
Nationally, 84% of Americans said they somewhat or completely agree that “when I need information, the first place I look is the Internet.” Just five points separated the types for this behavior, all in the average index range, according to MRI-Simmons. Low-income Native American Lands were slightly less at 81%, while the affluent Urban Suburbs and Exurbs reached 86%.
Meanwhile, 60% said they somewhat or completely agree that “I often wish I could take a break from technology.” Again, there was little variation among the types on this statement. The lower-income, less connected African American South came in at 57% while the middle-income, more wired LDS Enclaves in the Mountain West stood at 63%. The two rural communities are known for their strong religious affiliations and practices. The push-pull between routine behavior and strong attitudes is evident in Americans’ responses to these two statements.
Beliefs About the Federal Government and Business
On the key statement: “I trust the federal government to make the best decisions about how to protect my privacy,” just 27% of Americans somewhat or completely agreed. Percentages for trust were considered below the average index score in the largely homogeneous LDS Enclaves and Rural Middle America and above average in the more diverse African American South and Big Cities. Notably, this survey was taken a few years ago before the current controversy.
When it comes to their dealings with businesses, Americans seem more willing to trust. Overall, 59% said they somewhat or completed agree that “I'm OK with companies sharing my product preferences as long as my identity is kept private.” This varied just three points among the 15 types.
However, when personal information enters the online arena, there is a widespread sense of resignation among Americans. Nationally, 71% said they somewhat or completely agree with the statement: “Once a piece of personal information becomes available online, there is nothing I can do about it.” Just four points separated the 15 types, showing within the average range.
What's Next?
Now that Americans’ dependence on technology is colliding with the distrust of the federal government’s concern for protecting their privacy, how will individuals reckon with the belief that “there is nothing I can do about it”?