TMI: Some Consumers Regret Oversharing Online

A new survey finds that many consumers worry about how much personal information they've shared online.

Indeed, a January 2018 survey of internet users in Western Europe and the US by digital identity management service provider ForgeRock found that more than half of respondents are concerned. What's more, they regret sharing different types of personal information online, particularly the sensitive kind.

For example, roughly a third of respondents said they wished they hadn't shared their debit or credit card details, and almost as many regret sharing their social/national security number. Health records, credit card ratings and their phone number were among the other types mentioned.

The survey also found that many consumers are not very likely to share their personal information in order to get a more personalized experience, or in exchange for discounts. In fact, 60% of respondents said they're at least fairly unlikely to share personal info in order to help companies provide them with a more personalized service. And another 64% said they were at least very unlikely to do so in exchange for deals or offers they may use.

Overall, more people are becoming suspicious of sharing data, especially through third parties. That's likely because of the recent Cambridge Analytica revelations.

A March 2018 survey by Raymond James revealed that more than eight in 10 US internet users were at least somewhat concerned about how their personal data is being used on Facebook. Meanwhile, a survey conducted by Gallup in April found that 43% of Facebook users were very concerned about the invasion of privacy.