The FCC’s proposal to open up the set-top box market has some consumers concerned about privacy issues, according to a new survey done by Vrge Analytics and commissioned by the Digital Citizens Alliance. The poll of 685 Americans was conducted on April 13-14, 2016, and reportedly has a margin of error of 2.8 percent.
A sticking point is how consumers view the private browsing they do on a smartphone or computer vs. how they watch TV in front of the set at home. According to survey, two-thirds of Americans say they make a distinction between the personal experience of a laptop or mobile device and the communal experience of watching TV in their living room.
Some respondents reportedly are concerned that tech companies will serve up ads from their private browsing onto their living room TV that they are watching with their family. According to the survey, 73 percent said it would bother them if ads related to their private activities on their phone and laptop showed up on their living room television.
“The FCC needs to do more research to ensure that this proposal doesn’t have serious unintended effects. Imagine that when you are watching your television with your family, you get ads about a sensitive topic you were researching online, such as a serious health issue,” Tom Galvin, executive director of Digital Citizens, says. “The FCC has a lot of work to do to convince Americans that the benefits of changing our living room set-top box are worth the risks to our privacy and security.”
Filed Under: Industry regulations