Cisco 2023 Consumer Privacy Survey Reveals India Findings

Privacy Actives

o    54% of respondents in India are ‘Privacy Actives’

o   85% of respondents care about privacy

o   93% of respondents are willing to act to protect their privacy 

o   68% of respondents have already acted to protect their privacy, by switching companies or providers because of their data policies or data sharing practices

Consumers Exercising Data Subject Access Rights (DSAR)

o    57% of respondents in 2023 indicated they exercised their rights to inquire about data—up from 59% last year.

o    When it comes to requesting data deletions, the percentage of consumers making these

requests remained constant at 43%, same from last year.

 Impact and awareness of privacy laws

o    55% of the respondents say that national or local government should be primary responsible for protecting personal data.

o    18% said organizations, including private companies should be primary responsible for protecting personal data.

o    16% said the individuals themselves should be primarily responsible for protecting their own data.

o    Among respondents who were aware of the country’s laws, 86% felt the laws have had a positive impact, while only 1% felt they have had a negative impact.

o    67% of respondents were aware of their country’s privacy law, with the highest awareness percentage across global.

o    42% of respondents who were not aware of their country’s law felt they could adequately protect their data.

o    However, among those who were aware of these laws, 90% of respondents felt they could adequately protect their data.

Data Localization

o    73% in favor of data localization, when told that localization would make the products and services they buy more expensive (note: significantly higher than most countries surveyed)

o    15% of respondents were against data localization, when told that localization would make the products and services they buy more expensive

o    13% were unsure of data localization, when told that localization would make the products and services they buy more expensive

Artificial Intelligence and automated decision-making using personal data

o    Support for AI use

o   74% believe AI can be useful in improving our lives

o   78% are ok to share anonymized data to improve the AI

o    Concerns about current AI use

o   73% concerned about business use of AI today

o   83% say that use of AI by organizations has already eroded trust in them

Steps Organizations Can Take to Build Trust in AI

o    80% of respondents saying they would be more comfortable with AI if organizations audited applications for bias

o    85% of respondents saying they would be more comfortable with AI if organizations explained how the AI application worked in making its decisions

o    82% of respondents saying they would be more comfortable with AI if organizations ensured a human was involved in the decision-making process

o    89% of respondents saying they would be more comfortable with AI if organizations implemented an AI ethics program

Speaking on the findings, Samir Kumar Mishra, Director, Security Business, Cisco India & SAARC, said, " ’In today's data-driven digital era, safeguarding consumer privacy is not just crucial; it's an absolute business imperative. Data, once a mere asset, now forms the core around which businesses shape their strategies and make decisions. Our survey shows that 74% of consumers surveyed in India recognize the potential of AI to enhance their lives, and 78% are willing to share anonymized personal data to advance AI applications. This reflects a growing interest among today's consumers who see value in AI to make products better. 

Nevertheless, 83% say that they have already lost some trust in organizations because of their use of AI. This is a clear call to action for organizations to further protect consumer personal data. Educating consumers about privacy laws and their rights, coupled with robust privacy and security measures, will help enterprises to maintain trust with their customers, especially when it comes to AI. At Cisco, we are laser focused on increasing customer trust by helping them securely connect, automate, and stay resilient in a cloud-first world to accelerate their digital agility."