Privacy Concerns Notwithstanding, Digital Assistant Ownership is Up 47%

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Though there have been some published reports about privacy concerns with digital assistants, the devices are still increasingly popular, according to a new report about digital assistant ownership from digital content delivery specialist Limelight Networks.

About 28% of consumers now own digital assistants, up 47% from a year ago, the report said. Yet the digital assistants have yet to achieve “essential” status. More than 65% of consumers said they would be willing to give them up for at least a week, while 26% would be willing to stop using them permanently. By contrast when asked how long they could stop using mobile phones, 48% of global consumers said they would be unable to stop using them for even one day, with only 7% willing to give them up permanently.

Among other survey findings:

  • Privacy: Nearly half (46%) of worldwide consumers reported they are more worried about personal information being stolen online than a year ago. For digital assistants, 47% of global consumers expressed concerns about data privacy.
  • Positive impact of technology: Most global consumers (80%) say online digital technology has improved their lives, while more than one-third (35%) say online digital technology has made a significant improvement in their lives.

“With the rapid growth of online content and new devices available to access it, digital media is playing an increasingly important role in our daily lives,” said Michael Milligan, Limelight Networks, in a prepared statement. “Our research reveals consumer expectations for high-quality digital experiences continue to rise, along with concerns about online security and unauthorized access to personal information. To increase customer loyalty and maximize revenue opportunities, digital content providers and device manufacturers must ensure their content distribution platforms and devices utilize a secure infrastructure that safeguards customer data while delivering a consistently fast and reliable user experience.”