Indians love to share personal data on social media

New Delhi, Oct 16 : People in India are a happier lot when it comes to connect via social media platforms and 39 per cent of them trust the information they see on social media channels as compared to 32 per cent globally, new research said on Monday.
Only 29 per cent of Indian consumers have concerns about the amount of personal data brands have on them, compared to 40 per cent globally and rising to as high as 56 per cent in Australia, according to the global insights company Kantar TNS.
Just 27 per cent objected to connected devices monitoring their online activities, compared to 43 per cent globally.
"The desire to connect via social media has been the driving force behind a substantial part of the digital revolution in India, and as a result, engagement and trust on social platforms continues to be high," said Anusheel Shrivastava, Executive Vice President, Kantar TNS India.
Kantar TNS surveyed 70,000 people across 56 countries and conducted 104 in-depth interviews as part of the "2017 Connected Life" study.
The findings showed that for the most part, consumers in India have not yet realised the trade-offs intrinsic to a connected lifestyle that have caused other countries to become more cynical about the way companies are using the personal information.
Despite this open attitude, Indians are not as trusting of global brands as other countries in the APAC region, with 38 per cent trusting big global brands in comparison to 54 per cent in both Vietnam and Myanmar, and 47 per cent in Indonesia.
The mobile-first environment has resulted in connected consumers trying newer forms of interaction with brands as 36 per cent of consumers in India were happy to interact with chatbots online.
The study also revealed that a third (33 per cent) of Indians said that they are willing to pay for products using their mobile phone.
"Brands in emerging countries see higher levels of consumer trust today than those in developed ones but they shouldn't take it for granted. To build and protect trust, brands need to put the customer first," noted Michael Nicholas, Global Lead of Connected Solutions, Kantar TNS.