Sharing data feels like a hidden cost
Three-quarters of the Dutch (75%) experience leaving personal data as a hidden cost of online shopping. This feeling is widespread: from young to old, people recognize that they are paying with their data, even though there is no price tag attached. Moreover, 68 percent find it illogical that a service is free in exchange for access to personal data.
Accustomed, but not indifferent
Just over half of the Dutch (53%) admit that sharing data has become so normal that they hardly think about it anymore. Among young people aged 16 to 29, even 64 percent recognize this. But habituation means more resignation than acceptance: the research shows that even young people do not consciously accept privacy terms, but do so because they feel they have no choice.
Friso Spinhoven, head of Responsible AI at Conclusion: "Consumers are not naive about their data. They feel trapped. They know they are paying a price, but see no alternative. At Conclusion, we see daily how important it is to use data and AI responsibly. Precisely because consumers lose track, organizations have a duty to be transparent about what data they collect, why, and what they do with it."
Trust in companies is fragile
Of all Dutch people, only 57 percent trust that companies handle their personal data carefully. Moreover, that trust cannot be called strong. "The research nuances the image that consumers voluntarily give away their data. The prevailing feeling is one of powerlessness, not indifference. For organizations that use data and AI, this is an important signal: trust is not a given and must be actively earned. The technology to use data wisely is there. But being smart is not the same as being responsible," says Spinhoven. "Organizations must dare to ask themselves the question: would I do this if the customer were watching? Only if the answer is yes, do you build trust. And that trust is, as this research shows, scarcer than many companies think.