Findings from an online survey of 1,500 United States-based consumers reveal people’s deep concerns over privacy and tech platforms’ outsize power while suggesting that Web3 is yet to become a household term.
The study was fielded by global insights and strategy firm National Research Group (NRG) in January 2022. 54% of respondents said they were worried about their rights and freedoms are being threatened by technology, with 44% citing online privacy concerns, 38% being unhappy about online ads, and 35% reporting feeling a lack of control over their data. Almost half believe that tech companies have accrued too much power and have to be broken up.
Still, only 13% reported knowing what Web3 means, while 54% haven’t heard the term at all. Of those who have, 83% reported believing that the new version of the internet will improve their lives. Speaking of the potential downsides of the new Web, 33% cited concerns of cybercrime and scams ramping up when the decentralized internet comes to fruition.
Notably, U.S. consumers do not think that the burden of ensuring positive social impact of the future internet rests primarily with regulators: only 32% ascribe the leading role on this matter to politicians and regulatory agencies. More than half (51%) believe that it is mainly tech companies’ responsibility, and 50% said that is developers' and engineers’ job.
On the crypto adoption note, 57% of respondents reported having bought crypto or considered doing so. 39% percent believe that cryptocurrencies are most similar to stocks and shares rather than fiat currencies (18%) and commodities like gold (15%).
Marlon Cumberbatch, senior vice president and global head of insights at NRG, commented to Cointelegraph:
Cumberbatch added that
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