While it might appear that Gen Z — people born between the late 1990s and early 2010s — doesn’t value privacy, surveys show they simply perceive it differently.
They are less concerned about ad tracking, make minimal efforts to safeguard their private information online and as revealed by recent Malwarebytes Labs research, monitor each other’s lives more than other generations.
While other generations fear traditional cybercrimes like identity and credit card theft, Gen Z shows less concern overall and worries primarily about harassment, bullying and losing friendships due to the exposure of their private information.
The research from Malwarebytes shows that 61% of Gen Z, compared to 55% of non-Gen Z, worry more about the exposure of embarrassing or compromising photos, videos, mental health details or sexuality than typical cybersecurity threats like viruses and malware. Privacy advocates typically focus on tackling data brokers, Bluetooth tracking or privacy-invasive browsers, but for Gen Z the focus shifts to the right to control what becomes public.
Malwarebytes’ report titled, "Everyone’s afraid of the internet and no one’s sure what to do about it," examined the cybersecurity and online privacy habits of 1,000 respondents in the U.S. and Canada. The report unveiled concerns about people spying on their spouses, inadequate use of unique passwords and inaction despite fears of identity theft. Yet, a troubling insight emerged: people seem to have lost the battle for traditional online privacy. Online ad tracking and location monitoring — the subjects of persistent advocacy — hold little significance for Gen Z. One-third of Gen Z doesn’t mind being tracked by websites or apps, compared to 22% of non-Gen Z. Also, 49% of Gen Z finds it important to track their spouse or significant other’s location, versus 39% of non-Gen Z. Less disagreement from Gen Z toward statements like, "I think monitoring apps and tools are an invasion of privacy," suggests that fewer will oppose such intimate surveillance.
Despite Gen Z allowing more spying and ad tracking, their practice of obtaining consent before posting about others is exceptional. They consistently seek permission across all types of relationships more often than non-Gen Z, whether it’s their spouse or significant other, close friends, children, older family members or even acquaintances, indicating that Gen Z does have concerns about public disclosure.
All generations share concerns about personal information being misused without their consent. While non-Gen Z worries mostly about identity theft, credit card fraud and data breaches, it is less perturbed by these issues. Interestingly, Gen Z’s lower concern for financial hacking, data theft and identity fraud stems from viewing them as inevitable aspects of modern life rather than legitimate threats.
Instead, Gen Z’s primary concern lies in managing their personal information online and its potential fallout. They are particularly troubled about having private struggles, sexual orientation or embarrassing content shared online with the consequential interpersonal damage it could cause, including strained relationships, bullying, physical harm and career impacts. Repeated experiences of harassment, abuse and lost relationships due to online posts further drive their apprehensions. Malwarebytes’ survey reveals stark contrasts, with twice as many Gen Z respondents reporting stalking or bullying and losing close connections compared to non-Gen Z respondents.
The prevailing sentiment among Gen Z reflects their upbringing in a social media-driven culture. Early participation in a hyper-connected society means constantly navigating sensitive disclosures and stringent online judgments, affecting job security and personal relationships. Privacy efforts must transcend traditional notions and align with Gen Z’s emphasis on choosing what to broadcast. From Gen Z’s perspective, privacy isn’t merely about secrecy — it’s about controlling the narrative about one’s life in the public area.
If you would like to discuss your cybersecurity readiness or have a no-cost cybersecurity overview completed, reach out to OMNIPOTECH.
For more information, visit omnipotech.com or call Robert Kyslinger at (281) 768-4308.•
