As part of Microsoft’s longstanding commitment to privacy, they have just released their findings and results of a survey that shows the privacy attitudes of technology savvy individuals in the US and four European countries (Belgium, France, Germany and the UK).

The research found that:

Protecting consumers’ online privacy is a shared responsibility.

•   Tech elites expect companies to shoulder about 30% of this responsibility.
•   They most want technology companies to deliver innovations that automatically protect individuals’ privacy.
•   Europeans see a greater role for government than Americans.

Consumers believe they have limited control over how personal data is used.

•   Tech elites estimate they have about 50% control over the way their information is used online, with Europeans feeling less in control than their American counterparts.
•   Americans are more willing to make privacy tradeoffs for routine online activities, e.g. shopping and banking, while Europeans place lower value on ease-of-use.

Although technology elites say they are interested to learn more about data collection, less than one quarter report reading entire privacy statements.

•   Majorities in both the United States and Europe say they skim this information or simply accept the terms and conditions without reading the details.

For more information on Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing, please click here

This infographic helpfully summarises the results (click on the screenshot to enlarge it):