TRUSTe and Ponemon Institute Recognize Most Trusted Companies for Privacy in America

At the TRUSTe-IAPP Privacy Futures Symposium on June 10, 2004, TRUSTe and the Ponemon Institute announced their awards for "Most Trusted Companies for Privacy in America." The top ten:

1. eBay
2. American Express
3. Procter & Gamble (all brands)
4. Amazon
5. Hewlett Packard
6. U.S. Postal Service
7. IBM
8. Earthlink
9. Citibank
10. Dell

The awards were based on a study conducted by the Ponemon Institute, a Tucson-based think tank dedicated to advancing responsible information-management practices. The study, which polled more than 6,300 consumers, also reveals the three top criteria that consumers apply to gauge a company's trustworthiness:

• Overall reputation for product and service quality
• Limits on collection of customers' personal information
• Use of advertisements and solicitations that respect consumer privacy

"This survey shows that companies that make privacy a core value are rewarded by consumers with brand loyalty," said Fran Maier, president and executive director of TRUSTe. "Effective companies don't consider privacy a compliance activity but rather a brand differentiation. We are pleased that TRUSTe sealholders are well represented." More than 25 percent of the top 20 corporations named are TRUSTe members.

Consumers were also asked what worried them most if their personal information were leaked to individuals or organizations that were not authorized to receive the information. Seventy-six percent said that identity theft was their biggest concern, followed by spam concerns (58 percent) and fears related to loss of civil liberties (48 percent).

The survey portion of the study asked respondents to name up to five companies that they believed to be the most trusted for honoring their privacy commitments. Specific company names were not provided in the survey instrument, allowing consumers to make their judgments without constraints.

If you would like to review the study findings, contact Carolyn Hodge of TRUSTe to request a copy of its final report.

 

Ponemon Institute