Living in a digital world means leaving behind a trail of data with every click, a reality underscored by the startling fact that 81% of Americans feel they have little to no control over the information companies collect about them.
Key Takeaways
- 81% of Americans feel they have little or no control over the data companies collect about them
- 64% of consumers say they don't trust companies to use their data ethically
- Only 27% of people read privacy policies before agreeing to them
- 88% of Fortune 500 use tracking cookies
- Average person generates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily
- 328.77 million terabytes of human data created daily in 2023
- 4,200 data breaches exposed 4.45B records in 2019
- Equifax breach affected 147 million people
- Yahoo breach exposed 3 billion accounts
- Identity theft cost $43B in US 2022
- 1.1M identity fraud victims in 2023
- 15% of people victim to ID theft yearly
- 61% use password managers
- 2FA reduces account compromise by 99%
- VPN usage up 27% post-pandemic
People feel powerless and tracked as their digital footprints impact jobs and privacy.
Consumer Awareness
181% of Americans feel they have little or no control over the data companies collect about them
Verified264% of consumers say they don't trust companies to use their data ethically
Verified3Only 27% of people read privacy policies before agreeing to them
Verified479% of internet users are concerned about how companies use their data
Directional559% of adults have experienced unwanted tracking online
Single source673% of users believe their digital footprint affects job opportunities
Verified770% of employers check candidates' social media profiles
Verified848% of job seekers have been rejected due to online presence
Verified992% of recruiters use social media to screen candidates
Directional1057% of people have regretted posting something online
Single source1191% of Americans own at least one connected device that collects data
Verified1254% of users don't know what data apps collect
Verified1368% worry about data shared with third parties
Verified1475% of consumers want more control over personal data
Directional1562% have adjusted privacy settings due to concerns
Single source1683% of users fear data misuse by governments
Verified1741% of teens share location data publicly
Verified1869% of adults use social media daily, contributing to footprints
Verified1955% don't understand terms of service agreements
Directional2076% believe online privacy is harder to maintain
Single source2165% of parents worry about kids' digital footprints
Verified2282% of recruiters Google candidates before hiring
Verified2347% have lied about online privacy practices
Verified2471% feel tracked constantly online
Directional2559% avoid sharing info due to privacy fears
Single sourceConsumer Awareness Interpretation
We are a society of people who publicly agonize about our privacy while privately agreeing to terms we refuse to read, creating a digital trail that we fear will be judged by people who are absolutely going to judge it.
Data Collection
188% of Fortune 500 use tracking cookies
Verified2Average person generates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily
Verified3328.77 million terabytes of human data created daily in 2023
Verified490% of world's data created in last 2 years
Directional5Facebook collects 52% of web data via pixels
Single source6Google tracks 99.8% of user interactions
Verified7Average website has 8 third-party trackers
Verified874% of websites use analytics trackers
Verified9Smartphones collect 29 data points per minute
Directional10IoT devices generate 79.4 zettabytes by 2025
Single source11Email alone accounts for 60% of digital exhaust
Verified12Browsers fingerprint users 84% accurately
Verified131 in 5 apps request unnecessary permissions
Verified14Social media users share 2.5 million photos daily
Directional15Average user has 5.2 social accounts
Single source16Cookies track across 93% of top sites
Verified17Location data sold 1,000 times per second
Verified18Fitness trackers upload 10,000 data points daily
Verified1997% of sites use Google Analytics or similar
Directional20Voice assistants record 24/7 ambient audio
Single source21Ad trackers on 96% of kids' sites
Verified22Average data broker profile has 3,000 points
Verified232,000 data points per person sold yearly
Verified24Web beacons in 68% of emails
Directional25Mobile apps track even when closed
Single sourceData Collection Interpretation
While our digital shadows stretch longer than ever, it's clear the economy of personal data now trades more briskly than the stock market, with each of us unwittingly serving as both the product and the perpetual, round-the-clock supplier.
Mitigation and Tools
161% use password managers
Verified22FA reduces account compromise by 99%
Verified3VPN usage up 27% post-pandemic
Verified491% of breaches preventable with basics
Directional5Passwordless logins cut risks by 99.9%
Single source676% use unique passwords after training
Verified7Privacy tools block 40% of trackers
Verified8Ad blockers used by 42% of users
Verified9Data deletion requests honored 30% more post-GDPR
Directional1068% reset privacy settings yearly
Single source11Incognito mode used by 59%, but ineffective
Verified12Antivirus detects 99% of known threats
Verified13Zero-trust cuts breaches by 50%
Verified14Regular updates patch 98% vulnerabilities
Directional15Employee training reduces phishing by 70%
Single source16Data masking hides 95% of sensitive info
Verified17Encryption used in 88% of secure sites
Verified18Backup restores success 100% vs ransomware
Verified19Privacy-focused browsers gain 20% users
Directional20Consent management platforms block 25% cookies
Single source2155% use signal for secure messaging
Verified22Digital legacy planning by 23% of adults
Verified23Audit tools find 80% forgotten accounts
Verified24GDPR fines total €2.7B since 2018
Directional25CCPA requests processed 1.4M in 2022
Single sourceMitigation and Tools Interpretation
The good news is that most digital threats are comically preventable, yet the bad news is we treat our online security like a leaky boat—we're frantically patching holes with password managers and VPNs while casually ignoring the giant, flashing neon sign pointing to the already-installed bilge pump of basic training and updates.
Privacy Breaches
14,200 data breaches exposed 4.45B records in 2019
Verified2Equifax breach affected 147 million people
Verified3Yahoo breach exposed 3 billion accounts
Verified482% of breaches involve human element
Directional5Average breach cost $4.45 million in 2023
Single source683% of organizations suffered breach in 2022
Verified724,000 vulnerabilities disclosed yearly
Verified8Phishing causes 36% of breaches
Verified995% of cybersecurity issues from human error
Directional101 in 3 Americans hit by identity theft
Single source11Dark web sees 15B credentials leaked
Verified1260% of SMEs fail after cyberattack
Verified13Healthcare breaches up 60% in 2023
Verified1493% of patients' data breached since 2010
Directional15MOVEit breach hit 2,000 orgs, 60M people
Single source1651% of breaches from stolen creds
Verified17Ransomware hit 66% of orgs
Verified18Public cloud breaches doubled to 19%
Verified19Insider threats cause 34% of breaches
Directional2075% of breaches public within hour
Single source212.6B personal records exposed in 2023
Verified2243% of breaches from web apps
Verified23300,000 new malware daily
Verified2417.5M records leaked weekly
DirectionalPrivacy Breaches Interpretation
While it may be mathematically challenging for your average person to steal the entire planet's identity, the grim calculus of our digital age reveals we are collectively making it embarrassingly easy, with a staggering parade of breaches, leaks, and human errors serving as a constant, open invitation.
Security Threats
1Identity theft cost $43B in US 2022
Verified21.1M identity fraud victims in 2023
Verified315% of people victim to ID theft yearly
Verified4Synthetic ID fraud up 31% to $6B losses
Directional574% of breaches include PII
Single source6Cybercrime costs $8T globally 2023
Verified72,200 cyberattacks daily
Verified8Phishing emails up 58% to 3.4B daily
Verified994% of malware delivered via email
Directional10DDoS attacks rose 200% in 2023
Single source11600,000 new malware variants daily
Verified121 in 10 URLs lead to malware
Verified13SIM swapping fraud cost $68M in 2022
Verified14Deepfake incidents up 550% in 2023
Directional1580% of hackers use social engineering
Single source16Ransomware payments hit $1B in 2023
Verified1771% of orgs faced supply chain attacks
Verified18Mobile malware up 50% to 5.5M samples
Verified1999% of IoT devices vulnerable
Directional20Crypto hacks stole $3.7B in 2022
Single source21Zero-days exploited in 25% of intrusions
Verified2252% of malware uses encryption to evade
Verified23BEC scams cost $2.9B in 2023
Verified2449% of users click phishing links
DirectionalSecurity Threats Interpretation
If our digital lives were a fortress, these numbers aren't just cracks in the wall—they’re a detailed blueprint for how the entire structure is currently being dismantled, brick by brick and click by click.
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