Study confirms more than 80% don’t always read Terms of Service

ExpressVPN have announced the results of a VPN versus non-VPN User Study of 1,020 Americans. The new study reveals that more than 80% of consumers don’t always read the terms of service (ToS) when creating new accounts on websites. Other ToS data includes:

– Less than 35% of consumers trust brands to uphold their ToS
(42% for those ages 18-34 and less than 27% for those ages 55 and older)
– More than 42% of consumers think that brands often change ToS without telling the user
(Only a 5% range of difference in all age groups)
– VPN users are twice as likely to read ToS as compared to non-VPN users

Other notable data from the study show that VPN users are generally more savvy, confident and aware of their security and privacy vs. those that do not use VPNs, including that:

– VPN users are nearly twice as likely to disable the microphone and camera on their smart home devices (versus non-VPN users).
– More VPN users are aware of Facebook’s ability to predict their sexual orientation and political party affiliation (versus non-VPN users).

“The majority of consumers still have low awareness of data security and regularly engage in online behaviour that puts their personal information at risk,” stated Harold Li, vice president, ExpressVPN.

“Anyone using the internet should take measures to protect their privacy and security, including fundamentals like using a VPN to secure their connection, using two-factor authentication for important online accounts, and checking privacy settings on social media.”

When it comes to personal technology, the study finds that:

– 64% of VPN users are confident in the security of their iPhone/iPad, versus less than half 49% of non-VPN users.
– 63% of VPN users are confident in the security of their Android phone or tablet, versus 52% of non-VPN users.
– 37% of VPN users are confident in the security of their router versus just 21% of confidence from non-VPN users.

Finally, the study finds that 30% of Americans say they now use a VPN (up from less than 20% in a similar 2018 study) with more than half using a VPN either specifically to thwart hackers or for protection and confidence when using public Wi-Fi. Another 42% use VPNs for preventing sites from tracking them (based on IP address). Additionally, it reveals that those using VPNs are able to have more confidence in their online security:

– 84% of VPN users use public Wi-Fi, 22% use it every day, while just 60% of non-VPN users have used public Wi-Fi, with only 10% using it every day.
– 53% of VPN users have shopped online on a public Wi-Fi network and are twice as likely to do so versus non-VPN users (26%).