Trust in data privacy increases during pandemic

COVID-19 has seen Australians become more trusting of organisations and governments when it comes to their personal data and privacy, according to new research. The Australian National University (ANU) study examined more than 3,200 Australians' attitudes toward data privacy and security before and during the coronavirus pandemic, including the use of the COVIDSafe app. Study co-author Professor Nicholas Biddle said the study also showed increases in trust "strongly related" to an increase in confidence in the Federal Government, state and territory governments and the public service. "The level of Australians' trust, confidence and concerns about sharing their personal data is a critical question during this pandemic," Professor Biddle said. "It directly relates to the extent to which governments are able to use personal data to monitor and control the spread of COVID-19. In turn, the extent to which governments' protect personal data will help shape the Australians' views about how their data is shared and used into the future.   "Our findings provide strong support for the notion that trust and confidence in different aspects of policy design and delivery interact with each other, creating vicious or virtuous circles." The study measured Australians' trust in how their personal data was handled by governments and other organisations on a scale of one to 10 - with 10 being the most trusting.