PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
1
A majority of Americans are concerned about the safety and privacy
of their personal data
However, many also acknowledge sharing passwords, reusing them, or other
behaviors that could compromise their online behavior
Topline Findings
Washington DC, May 5, 2022 – Ahead of World Password Day, a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of
Google finds that Americans are highly concerned about the safety and privacy of the personal data that
they provide on the internet. Along these lines, around one in three report that they have been the victim
of an online data breach. However, despite high levels of concern, some Americans still engage in
behaviors that could put their online information at risk, such as reusing passwords across accounts,
noting passwords in their phone, sharing passwords, or only changing them when they have to.
Detailed Findings
1. Americans show a high level of concern about the safety and privacy of their personal data.
• An overwhelming majority (84%) say that they are at least somewhat concerned about
the safety and privacy of the personal data that they provide on the internet.
• More Americans aged 55+ report concerns than those aged 18-34 (88% vs. 79%,
respectively).
• A majority, yet fewer than the number of Americans concerned about data privacy (63%),
routinely check the security settings of their online accounts.
• Just over a third of Americans (37%) say that personal data they have provided online
has been compromised.
• Among those that have had their data breached, more than nine in ten (92%) changed
their password after the breach.
2. However, some reported behaviors around password hygiene and data security show that more
can be done to secure our online information.
• Two in three Americans (65%) report reusing passwords for different online accounts.
• One in five use passwords considered common or easy to guess, and 52% incorporate
personal information such as names and birthdays into their passwords.
• Around one in three say they have shared their password with someone else or currently
have access to the password for someone else’s online account.
• Three in four (74%) report changing their passwords for their online accounts at least
once per year, with 27% changing them once every three months.
• Among those that change their passwords, 62% say they only change their passwords in
situations where they have to, such as forgetting a password, compared to just 38% that
routinely change their passwords after a set period of time.
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
2
3. When it comes to the steps people are taking to secure their data, more modern or automated
methods are leading the way.
• Two-factor authentication is a popular security method, with just under three in four
Americans (73%) reporting they use this feature at least some of the time. A majority
(66%) also report using completely random passwords with a mix of characters, while
less than half use password manager services (44%).
• Younger Americans are more likely to use two-factor authentication and password
manager services, but they are also more likely to report resuing passwords for their
online accounts.
• Twenty-eight percent of those who have improved their password hygiene since the
COVID-19 pandemic say they have done so because there are more convenient ways to
manage strong passwords, while one in six say there are more cost-effective ways to
manage strong passwords.
• Fifty-eight percent of Americans say that it is more important to them to create a
password that is strong and secure, compared to only 39% that prioritize creating a
password that is easy to remember. Divides among age groups remain, with younger
Americans more likely to say that creating a password they can remember is more
important, and older Americans placing more importance on creating a strong and secure
password.
4. A majority of Americans’ password hygiene has not been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Fifty-seven percent say that their password hygiene is about the same as before the
pandemic. About a third (36%) say they have improved their password hygiene.
• Americans aged 18-34 (44%) are more likely than those aged 55+ (27%) to say that their
password hygiene has gotten better since the start of the pandemic.
• Among those that say their password hygiene has improved, increased concern about
cyber security threats (45%) is primary reason for improvement. This is followed by
having more online accounts that require passwords (39%) and more sensitive data
being online (32%).
• However, in the wake of the pandemic, the number one thing people report sharing
passwords on is streaming services (47%).
These are the findings of an Ipsos poll, conducted on behalf of Google, between April 1-7, 2022. For this
survey, a sample of 4,000 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii was interviewed
online in English. Employees of Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook/Meta and Microsoft were excluded.
The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points for all respondents.
For full results, please refer to the following annotated questionnaire:
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
3
Full Annotated Questionnaire
1. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Total Agree Summary
Total
(N=4,000)
Technology changes my life for the better
72%
I routinely check the privacy and/or security
settings of my online accounts
63%
I try to keep up with developments in
technology
62%
Understanding how to use technology is
important for my career
57%
I want my technology devices to reflect my
lifestyle
53%
Overall, I appreciate when my data is used to
personalize my online experience (e.g. only
seeing ads that pertain to my interests)
46%
Technology changes my life for the better
Total
Strongly Agree
30%
Somewhat Agree
42%
Neither Agree nor Disagree
20%
Somewhat Disagree
5%
Strongly Disagree
3%
Agree (Net)
72%
Disagree (Net)
8%
I try to keep up with developments in
technology
Total
Strongly Agree
23%
Somewhat Agree
39%
Neither Agree nor Disagree
21%
Somewhat Disagree
10%
Strongly Disagree
6%
Agree (Net)
62%
Disagree (Net)
16%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
4
1. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Continued)
Understanding how to use technology is
important for my career
Total
Strongly Agree
29%
Somewhat Agree
29%
Neither Agree nor Disagree
23%
Somewhat Disagree
8%
Strongly Disagree
11%
Agree (Net)
57%
Disagree (Net)
20%
I want my technology devices to reflect
my lifestyle
Total
Strongly Agree
20%
Somewhat Agree
33%
Neither Agree nor Disagree
30%
Somewhat Disagree
10%
Strongly Disagree
7%
Agree (Net)
53%
Disagree (Net)
17%
Overall, I appreciate when my data is used
to personalize my online experience (e.g.
only seeing ads that pertain to my
interests)
Total
Strongly Agree
16%
Somewhat Agree
30%
Neither Agree nor Disagree
27%
Somewhat Disagree
16%
Strongly Disagree
12%
Agree (Net)
46%
Disagree (Net)
27%
I routinely check the privacy and/or
security settings of my online accounts
Total
Strongly Agree
25%
Somewhat Agree
38%
Neither Agree nor Disagree
20%
Somewhat Disagree
12%
Strongly Disagree
4%
Agree (Net)
63%
Disagree (Net)
16%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
5
2. Please think of the personal data you provide on the internet. How concerned, if at all, are you with the
safety and privacy of your data?
Total
Very concerned
35%
Somewhat concerned
49%
Not very concerned
13%
Not at all concerned
3%
Concerned (Net)
84%
Not Concerned (Net)
16%
3. Has the personal data you provide online ever been compromised (for instance, in a data breach, leak
or account hacking)?
Total
Yes
37%
No
44%
Don’t know
19%
4. You mentioned you had previously had your data compromised in a data breach, leak or account
hacking. Did you change your password(s) afterward?
Base: Selected “Yes” in Q3
Total
(N=1,493)
Yes
92%
No
8%
5. In the event that your data was compromised in a data breach, leak or account hacking, how likely, if at
all, are you to change your password(s) afterward?
Base: Selected “No” or “Don’t know” in Q3
Total
(N=2,507)
Very likely
75%
Somewhat likely
18%
Not very likely
5%
Not at all likely
2%
Likely (Net)
93%
Not Likely (Net)
7%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
6
6. Thinking about the passwords and security of your online accounts, how often do you do each of the
following?
Total Often/Sometimes Summary
Total
Enable two-factor authentication for online
accounts
73%
Need to reset your password
72%
Forget your password when trying to log in to
an account
67%
Use completely random passwords
containing a mix of uppercase and lowercase
letters, numbers and symbols
66%
Reuse a password for different online
accounts
65%
Keep track of passwords by writing them
down on paper or making a note in your
phone
63%
Sign into a site using another service (Apple,
Facebook, Google, etc)
61%
Use a password manager service (Google
PWM, Samsung Pass, iCloud Keychain,
Dashlane, etc.)
44%
Use the recommended, randomly generated
password your phone/computer suggests
32%
Enable two-factor authentication for
online accounts
Total
Often
34%
Sometimes
39%
Rarely
14%
Never
9%
Don’t know
4%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
73%
Rarely/Never (Net)
22%
Use a password manager service (Google
PWM, Samsung Pass, iCloud Keychain,
Dashlane, etc.)
Total
Often
23%
Sometimes
21%
Rarely
14%
Never
38%
Don’t know
4%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
44%
Rarely/Never (Net)
52%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
7
6. Thinking about the passwords and security of your online accounts, how often do you do each of the
following? (Continued)
Use completely random passwords
containing a mix of uppercase and
lowercase letters, numbers and symbols
Total
Often
39%
Sometimes
27%
Rarely
16%
Never
16%
Don’t know
2%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
66%
Rarely/Never (Net)
32%
Use the recommended, randomly
generated password your phone/computer
suggests
Total
Often
12%
Sometimes
20%
Rarely
21%
Never
44%
Don’t know
3%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
32%
Rarely/Never (Net)
65%
Reuse a password for different online
accounts
Total
Often
29%
Sometimes
36%
Rarely
18%
Never
15%
Don’t know
3%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
65%
Rarely/Never (Net)
33%
Keep track of passwords by writing them
down on paper or making a note in your
phone
Total
Often
36%
Sometimes
27%
Rarely
16%
Never
19%
Don’t know
2%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
63%
Rarely/Never (Net)
35%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
8
6. Thinking about the passwords and security of your online accounts, how often do you do each of the
following? (Continued)
Sign into a site using another service
(Apple, Facebook, Google, etc)
Total
Often
25%
Sometimes
36%
Rarely
18%
Never
16%
Don’t know
4%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
61%
Rarely/Never (Net)
35%
Forget your password when trying to log
in to an account
Total
Often
21%
Sometimes
46%
Rarely
24%
Never
7%
Don’t know
1%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
67%
Rarely/Never (Net)
31%
Need to reset your password
Total
Often
19%
Sometimes
52%
Rarely
23%
Never
3%
Don’t know
2%
Often/Sometimes (Net)
72%
Rarely/Never (Net)
27%
7. What is more important to you when creating a password for an online account?
Total
Creating a password that is strong and
secure
58%
Creating a password that I can easily
remember
39%
Don’t know
3%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
9
8. Think about all your online accounts and their associated passwords. On average, how frequently do
you change the password for any one of these accounts?
Total
Once every 3 months or more frequently
27%
Once every 6 months
30%
Once a year
17%
Less than once a year
20%
Never
6%
9. Which of the following best describes the reason for changing your password(s)?
Base: Those who change their passwords
Total
(N=3,770)
I only change my password(s) if I have to
(e.g., forgotten password, website/app
requires password update, etc.)
62%
I routinely change my password(s) after a set
period of time
38%
10. In general, how easy or difficult is it for you to remember or keep track of your passwords across your
online accounts?
Total
Very easy
18%
Somewhat easy
44%
Somewhat difficult
30%
Very difficult
8%
Easy (Net)
62%
Difficult (Net)
38%
11. Think again about the passwords you maintain across all your online accounts. Have you ever used a
password similar to one of the below examples, which could be considered an easy to guess or common
password?
Total
Yes
19%
No
81%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
10
12. Which of the following have you incorporated into a password for an online account, if any?
Total
A pet’s name/birthday
24%
Your own name/birthday
19%
A family member or friend’s name/birthday
17%
Your child’s name/birthday
15%
Your spouse or partner’s name/birthday
13%
I have never used any of these in a password
48%
13. If you had to guess, would you say your password hygiene is better, worse, or about the same as the
average person? By password hygiene, we mean the strength of your passwords and the steps you take
to ensure they are strong and secure.
Total
Much better
18%
A little better
34%
About the same
40%
A little worse
6%
Much worse
2%
Better (Net)
52%
Worse (Net)
8%
14. How, if at all, would you say your password hygiene has changed since the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic in 2020? Again, we mean the strength of your passwords and the steps you take to ensure
they are strong and secure.
Total
Gotten much better
14%
Gotten a little better
21%
About the same as before
57%
Gotten a little worse
3%
Gotten much worse
1%
Don’t know
3%
Better (Net)
36%
Worse (Net)
5%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
11
15. Which of the following were motivating factors in improving your password hygiene since the onset of
the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020?
Base: Those who improved password hygiene
Total
(N=1,430)
I am more concerned about cyber security
threats than before
45%
I have more online accounts that require
passwords than before
39%
More of my sensitive data and information is
online than before
32%
There are more convenient ways to
create/manage strong passwords now than
before
28%
I now rely more heavily on online products
and services for medicine and healthcare
24%
There are more cost-effective ways to
create/manage strong passwords now than
before
17%
I work remotely or in a hybrid model more
often than before
15%
Other
1%
None of these
5%
16. Have you ever shared your password for an online account with someone else? Please think
specifically about accounts that are held in your name only.
Total
Yes
30%
No
70%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
12
17. You mentioned that you have shared your password for an online account with someone else. What
is your relationship with this individual or individuals?
Base: Those who have shared a password
Total
(N=1,207)
Current spouse/partner
43%
Other family member
42%
Friend
24%
Former spouse/partner
13%
Current roommate
5%
Former roommate
5%
Current colleague
4%
Former colleague
4%
Other relationship
4%
18. You mentioned that you have shared your password for an online account with a former
spouse/partner. Did you change your password(s) after the relationship ended?
Base: Those who have shared a password with a former partner
Total
(N=163)
Yes
82%
No
18%
19. You mentioned that you have shared your password for an online account with someone else. What
type of account(s) were involved? Select all that apply.
Base: Those who have shared a password
Total
(N=1,207)
TV, video, or music streaming service
account
47%
Email account
36%
Online shopping account
31%
Social media account
30%
Financial account (Bank, credit card,
retirement, etc)
28%
Ridesharing or food delivery service account
12%
Medical or dental account
11%
Magazine, newspaper, or printed media
subscription account
8%
Work-associated account (email, team
collaboration platform, etc.)
8%
Other (please specify)
4%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
13
20. Do you currently use or have access to any password(s) for someone else’s online account(s)? This
could be for just one person or multiple people.
Total
Yes
32%
No
68%
21. You mentioned that you currently use or have access to a password for someone else’s online
account. What is your relationship with this individual or individuals?
Base: Those who have someone else's password
Total
(N=1,255)
Current spouse/partner
47%
Other family member
35%
Friend
23%
Former spouse/partner
9%
Current roommate
6%
Current colleague
6%
Former roommate
4%
Former colleague
3%
Other relationship (please specify)
4%
22. You mentioned that you have an active password for someone else’s online account. What type of
account(s) are involved?
Base: Those who have someone else's password
Total
(N=1,255)
TV, video, or music streaming service
account
45%
Email account
42%
Financial account (Bank, credit card,
retirement, etc)
32%
Social media account
29%
Online shopping account
26%
Medical or dental account
17%
Ridesharing or food delivery service account
11%
Work-associated account (email, team
collaboration platform, etc.)
9%
Magazine, newspaper, or printed media
subscription account
7%
Other (please specify)
4%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
14
23. Have you ever tried to guess the password for another person’s online account(s)?
Total
Yes
17%
No
83%
24. Have you ever correctly guessed the password for another person’s online account(s)?
Base: Those who have tried to guess another's password
Total
(N=665)
Yes
54%
No
41%
Don’t know
5%
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
15
About the Study
These are some of the findings of a Ipsos poll, conducted on behalf of Google, conducted between April
1-7, 2022. For this survey, a sample of 4,000 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and
Hawaii was interviewed online in English. Employees of Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook/Meta, and
Microsoft were excluded.
The sample was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel, partner online panel sources, and “river”
sampling and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample
targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos
panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using
standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S.
Census 2016 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample
targets on demographics. Post-hoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age,
race/ethnicity, region, and education.
Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls
may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement
error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos
online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or
minus 1.9 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study
based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility
interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=4,000, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-
3.4 percentage points).
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 374-2613
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC 20006
+1 202 463-7300
Contact:
Email:
Tel:
Mallory Newall
Vice President, US, Public Affairs, Ipsos
mallory.newall@ipsos.com
+1 202 374-2613
16
About Ipsos
Ipsos is the world’s third largest Insights and Analytics company, present in 90 markets and employing
more than 18,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist
capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and
motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients
across the world with 75 business solutions.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The
company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service
(SRD).
ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP www.ipsos.com
