While users worry about the ways social media companies access and monetize their personal data, it’s proven difficult for most people to walk away from these platforms: Just 1 in 5 social media users say they have quit a platform in the past 12 months.
Of those who have moved on from a platform, one of the biggest reasons is a distrust for how the company handles personal data: Nearly 3 in 4 people attribute that lack of trust as a contributing factor for leaving, with 45% expressing that issue as a major reason for their decision to leave.
Callas said that part of the distrust stems from a lack of transparency.
“We don't really know what the threat is, and this is part of the personal anxiety issue,” he said. “We don't really know how much people are abusing our privacy, and there's no way for us to measure it.”
Matt Schruers, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, said that the decision of some users to leave platforms over privacy concerns is part of what encourages the market to offer more protection. “Companies compete on a range of features, including protecting and safeguarding consumer data, and people can choose services that match their needs.”
“Just as user preferences with respect to content incentivize digital services to maintain strong digital trust and safety practices,” Schruers added, “user preferences with respect to privacy incentivize digital services to protect and safeguard consumer data.”
Privacy-centric alternatives, particularly to social media services, are still few and far between. Collins noted that “the entire internet ecosystem operates, at least to some degree, on selling data and collecting data. You as a person cannot fight a system problem, at least not particularly effectively. It's just too hard to do.”
She recommended lawmakers create “rules of the road,” a baseline that better establishes what can be collected and for what purpose it can be used. “What the free market has carved out is not working,” she said.
Bennet suggested a new agency to oversee the industry: “In the past, Congress has recognized the need for dedicated regulators, like the FDA or FAA, to protect consumers and preserve the public interest. It is Congress’ responsibility to weigh in on consumers’ behalf, and that’s why we need a new federal agency to oversee digital platforms.”
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