Three-quarters of Americans agree with the idea that online companies, including Google and Facebook, know (and control) too much about consumers and their browsing habits, according to a Harris Interactive study. At the same time, marketers might not want to pull the plug on their social marketing campaigns, as the study suggests ambivalence about search and social giants' power aren't slowing down internet usage.
The study asked more than 2,000 U.S. adults about the role of online companies with respect to their personal information. The broad majority (76 percent) say brands such as Google and Facebook have too much access to users' personal information, with more than one-third (36 percent) strongly agreeing with this statement.
Even as Americans maintain that online companies are becoming the proverbial “Big Brother,” they don't seem concerned enough to want the government to step in. Nearly half of respondents (46 percent) say they oppose government regulation of large online companies, and another 18 percent are “not sure” of how they feel on the matter.
Notably, Facebook recently tried to call out Google for alleged use and abuse of consumers' personal data. As Brafton reported, the social giant started a scandalous whisper campaign suggesting Google doesn't give users enough control over whether or not their personal data will be used in social search results.
In spite of its claims against Google, Facebook seems to understand the influence of social search – and internet marketers should make note of it, too. The week after its whisper campaign, Facebook partnered with Bing on updated social search features, allowing Bing users to see friends' Facebook data related to specific results.
Whether or not consumers believe the online giants wield too much power, they seem to be maintaining their use of online platforms – and responding positively to socially enhanced marketing efforts. As Brafton has reported, social recommendations are becoming important word-of-web referrals for online consumers, and ad units that incorporate friends' activities, such as Facebook's Sponsored Stories, see higher clicks. Carry on, social marketers.
