Privacy burnout: Are we too tired to guard our digital lives?

January 27, 2025

One-third of Americans confess they ignore the terms of service for apps and online services because they don't want to waste time.

Ahead of Data Privacy Day, celebrated on January 28, cybersecurity company NordVPN has revealed new insights into the security risks associated with careless app usage.

According to data from the National Privacy Test (NPT), for the full year of 2024, 27% of Americans paid no attention to apps' privacy policies. With the average smartphone user having over 80 apps installed, the potential for data breaches is significant.

"While online debates about what holds greater value — data, oil, or land — continue, the answer is clear in the cybersecurity field: data,” says Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN.

“Unlike physical assets, data can be copied, stolen, damaged, or sold without leaving any visible traces, posing serious financial and reputational risks. Apps are often the main channel through which this sensitive personal information is lost, due to unnoticed permissions, missed updates, malicious software, and unauthorized data sharing," says Warmenhoven.

Overlooked apps pose a danger to your personal data

The availability of apps on major platforms is overwhelming. The Apple Store currently offers about 1.8 million apps, while the Google Play Store has around 3.3 million apps available for download. With this amount of choice, it can be easy to overlook potential dangers.

Unfortunately, the study showed that 27% of Americans do not pay attention to any terms of app or online service policies because they do not want to waste time on lengthy legal information. More than half overlook data security policies, 43% skip the policies on data sharing with third parties, and 47% never read policies on data collection.

Interestingly, younger individuals aged 15 to 29 show less interest in reading terms and conditions than older generations. However, across all age groups, the highest percentage of individuals are interested in policies related to data-sharing with third parties.

In contrast, the situation with app permissions shows more caution. Only 4% of Americans grant apps unrestricted access to functions like location, microphone, and contacts. The majority, 86%, only allow access necessary for app functionality.

Moreover, delaying software or app updates might seem harmless, yet 39% of Americans regularly postpone them, exposing themselves to risks. "Software updates are crucial as they fix security flaws and protect your data. By keeping your software up to date, you not only safeguard your own data but also protect your contacts from potential phishing attacks launched through vulnerabilities in your outdated apps," says Warmenhoven.

Expert advice on how to protect your privacy on apps

According to another NordVPN study, nearly 87% of Android apps and 60% of iOS apps request access to device functions unrelated to their actual needs.

“Most users grant these permissions without reading the terms and conditions, inadvertently allowing these apps to spy on them. This can lead to data leaks and the theft of personal information, which could be used against their interests,” says Warmenhoven.

To protect people’s privacy on apps, Adrianus Warmenhoven offers these preventive measures:

Always download apps from official stores because unofficial ones may not check app safety before publication, increasing the risk of modifications by criminals.
Familiarize yourself with the data permissions required by apps. Review and adjust these permissions as necessary, particularly sensitive ones like access to your camera, microphone, storage, location, and contact list.
Before downloading any app, read its privacy policy to understand what information it will track and share with third parties. If the privacy level is unsatisfactory, consider an alternative.
Limit location access only when using the app and avoid using social media accounts to log in, because doing so can allow unnecessary data exchange.
Delete any apps you no longer use to prevent them from collecting data in the background.

Methodology: The National Privacy Test is an open-access survey, allowing anyone from around the world to take the test and compare their own results with the global ones. In 2024, 33,562 respondents from 181 countries answered 23 questions that evaluated their online privacy skills and knowledge.

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