The protection of personal data is now a key part of individual literacy in everyday life. Nevertheless, researchers regularly observe a contradiction among the general public, which they describe as the "privacy paradox." There is often a wide gap between the concerns expressed about protecting personal data and people's actual behavior when handling such data.
Although many people value their privacy, they nevertheless carelessly disclose information in the digital sphere—for example, by thoughtlessly accepting complex cookie banners. The reasons for this are often gaps in knowledge and targeted design strategies by platforms that steer users toward disclosing their data. However, data protection is not limited to the digital sphere. Sensitive information is also processed in everyday offline life, for example, when filling out forms or making telephone calls.
The findings of a new study help make this phenomenon and the underlying competence easily measurable for the first time. The study is presented in a new publication series by the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI): the "Data Barometer Background." The aim of this series is to strengthen collaboration between the BfDI and the academic community.
