Dutch consumers are likely to regret their generous use of personal data in the future, according to research by NPM portfolio company Conclusion. Of the more than 1000 respondents, as many as 87 percent expect this to be the case. At the same time, 86 percent believe that privacy will have largely disappeared by then.
Many Dutch consumers already no longer see privacy as a given. Some 86 percent say that online privacy has effectively become a luxury. This view is widely shared across age groups, from young people to older generations. In addition, 68 percent fear that they will have to share even more data in the future to fully participate in society.
Respondents also expect the role of data to continue growing. A total of 67 percent believe that, within ten years, companies will know them better than they know themselves due to the increasing collection and analysis of data. Among those aged 16 to 29, this figure rises to 71 percent.
“It is striking that Dutch consumers collectively expect to regret this in the future, while at the same time feeling that this development is inevitable,” said Friso Spinhoven, Head of Responsible AI at Conclusion. “This does not point to resignation, but to a clear need for greater control over their own data.”
Spinhoven added: “We are at a turning point. If we accept that privacy is disappearing, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. But this research also shows something hopeful: people are not indifferent. They expect governments and companies to handle their data responsibly. Those who do so, and are transparent about it, can still earn that trust.”
