One out of every four Americans report that their personal information has been improperly accessed in a way that harmed them, according to a new poll from Politico and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The poll surveyed just over 1,000 Americans about their views on data privacy and e-cigarettes, finding that many express concern about the security of their personal information and the safety of e-cigarettes.
- 25 percent say an unauthorized person has gained access to their personal information, such as a Social Security number or credit card, in a way that harmed them.
- 63 percent are “very concerned” that their Social Security number could be compromised.
- Only 34 percent have a great deal of trust in their doctor’s office keeping their information secure, 29 percent say the same of their main bank, and 24 percent say the same of hospitals.
The poll also found that just under half of Americans think e-cigarettes are “very harmful” to the people who use them, higher than the number of people who say the same about marijuana but less than the number of people who think alcohol and tobacco cigarettes are “very harmful” to users.
- 81 percent said tobacco cigarettes are “very harmful.”
- 51 percent said alcohol is “very harmful.”
- 47 percent said e-cigarettes are “very harmful.”
- 26 percent said marijuana is “very harmful.”
“The proportion of Americans who consider e-cigarettes very harmful to the health of those who use them has risen over time,” the summary notes. “Last year, Gallup found that 38 percent of Americans believed e-cigarettes were very harmful to people who use them – nine percent lower than one year later.”
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