Mobile consumers want privacy- report summary from MEF

Andrew Bud, global chairman of MEF, posted an article on VentureBeat to discuss the survey report of mobile consumer attitudes towards app privacy by MEF (global community for mobile content & commerce).

This survey was far reaching with over 9,500 respondents across ten countries. In the report summary, it analyzes privacy in the context of four component parts:

• Transparency: Consumers understand the impact of mobile apps on their privacy and want app providers to explain what and how their data is collected and used;
• Comfort:Only a third (37%) of consumers are comfortable sharing personal information with an app;
• Security: Most mobile users trust app providers to protect their personal information;
• Control: A third of consumers think they have complete control over how their personal information is used for advertising purposes. However, in reality it is unlikely consumers are able to control the way companies use their personal information.

These statistics are very useful evidences that users need make sense and have control of their personal data exchanged with online platforms. And the report mentions that in reality consumers need to face the limitation of privacy control. Therefore, this project needs to explore what the new service can do to help users gain more control under the limited situation.

User behavior change on Facebook with time

VentureBeat posted an article about Facebook usage data collected and analyzed by Wolfram Alpha (Facebook Personal Analytics) last week. It’s interesting to find that user life pattern actually changes with time in this case.

For example, friends on Facebook vary with time. The result from Wolfram Alpha says “When you’re younger, most of your friends are your own age, but the range of ages broadens as you get older.”

And people talk different things as they getting older (the two colors represent gender):

Though the report says the data is limited to the small number Facebook users who let Wolfram Alpha use it, it’s very meaningful statistic and evidence of user’s changing needs of online platforms with time- because the online audience and behaviors change, what they want to express and show who they are may vary as well.

Social media around the world 2012- Insites Consulting

This is one worth-reading slidedeck by InSites Consulting discussing social media around the world. It contains five “eye-catching insights on the status of social media based on a large consumer survey”:

1. The social media landscape is rather stable;
2. Mobile is the perfect accelerator for social media usage;
3. Consumers connect and interact with a limited set of brands;
4. Consumers reach out to brands: we want to help you!
5. Opportunity for brands to optimize conversation potential of consumers.

Besides these five insights, there are some other things I find useful for my IMPrints project:

Social media behavior:

On average, people join 2.1 social networks.

social media users have no intention to stop their membership. However, 60% of them have no intention to join any new networks. (Maybe more of long-term effect of behavior changes of SNS needs to be considered)

72% users use social medias during leisure time. And compared to other regions, logging on in bed, on public transport, or when waiting in line is far more popular in China. (This data may be used for Chinese research after UK research stage. And when and where management is involved need to be researched for this project.)

For my project, it’s still to early to limit my observation merely into social medias. Many other accounts such as online transaction or online tools also have needs of identity management. However, social media may be a good reference as one of main areas which attracts more attention from the society.