We surveyed a representative sample of 2036 UK consumers in September 2023 to understand their preferences and drivers around masking in depth.
Top findings
- Masking is Mobile: 58% are more likely to mask their personal data on average on mobile than desktop across all seven methods measured.
- Email based identifiers a turn-off: Knowing a brand was using their email address or mobile number to target them with online advertising, 49% of consumers would be more likely to mask their information online.
- VPN & Incognito at a premium: While other masking methods occur evenly across different groups, the use of VPNs and incognito/private browsing increases consistently as you move up the earnings scale. The highest income households are 69% more likely to use private browsing and 65% more likely to use a VPN than those on the lowest incomes.
- Masking Moments That Matter: People mask their data at key moments for advertisers: 49% to prevent retargeting in general, a similar number when searching for answers to private or personal questions, while 38% do so to keep their browsing history private when sharing devices.
