Most US consumers do not trust companies to handle their personal information properly according to a report released yesterday by researchers Harris Interactive. However, independent verification of privacy policies would satisfy almost 62% of consumers and 84% think such verification should be "a requirement" for companies today.

The top three consumer concerns were that companies would provide their information to other companies without permission (75%); that their transactions may not be secure (70%); or that hackers could steal their personal data (69%).

According to the survey, a company having its privacy practices verified by a third party would lead 91% of consumers to do more business with it. More than half of consumers said that if they were confident that a company whether off-line or on-line really followed its privacy policies, they would be likely to recommend that company to friends and family.

The survey, which was backed by Ernst & Young, was conducted on-line in November 2001 and interviewed 1,529 adults aged 18 or over.

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