British adults don’t generally understand the specifics of how their personal data is being used by companies and organisations in the UK, with only one in ten ( 10%) saying they have a good understanding of how their personal data is used.

The ICO survey was conducted by ComRes and is designed as benchmark measurement for the ICO’s Information Rights Strategic Plan 2017-2021. One of the ICO’s main strategic goals over the next four years is to increase the UK public’s trust and confidence in how data is used and made available.

The ICO’s deputy commissioner, Steve Wood, said: “As personal information becomes the currency by which society does business, organisations need to start making people’s data protection rights a priority. Putting data protection at the centre of digital businesses strategies is the key to improving trust and digital growth.”

The survey also found that UK citizens are more likely to trust public bodies than private companies or organisations holding or sharing their personal information. Three in five ( 61%) said they have trust and confidence in the NHS or local GP to store and use their personal information while half said the same of the police ( 53%) or national government departments and organisations ( 49%).

ComRes interviewed 2,153 UK adults online between 12th and 27th July 2017. Data was weighted by age, gender, region and socio-economic grade to be representative of the UK population.