Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Apparently you'll share your data to stop coronavirus

New Parks Associates survey says most of us are up for contact tracing, if the conditions are right.

Beyond the masks, distancing and the development of an eventual vaccine, the novel coronavirus is being fought on the streets with data: Who has it and who have they been in contact with? But people are pushing back on the idea of contact tracing in an era when many of us have had enough of the ways technology tracks us. Now what?

Parks Associates has just completed a survey of consumers' willingness to share phone data to help control COVID-19. 52% said they would be, and another 20% said yes if they were afforded at least one basic assurance, like making the process opt-in or anonymized. "It's pretty strong validation that this could be an option that some consumers are willing to do," says Jennifer Kent, Senior Director at Parks Associates. "For this moment, for this purpose, it's something that a lot of consumers are open to."

One of the strongest predictors of a person's willingness to have their contacts traced is whether they know someone with the virus, even if that person isn't sick. "If you know somebody in your social circle who has tested positive for COVID-19, you're much more willing to share your data," says Kent. "And as the pandemic continues on, there will be a higher percentage of the population that knows somebody who has tested positive." Parks found that about 7% of their respondents knew someone with the virus in March, a number which rose to 35% of respondents by May.

From the article "Apparently you'll share your data to stop coronavirus" by Brian Cooley.

Previously In The News

20% of Broadband Homes Now Get TV Via Antenna

While many of our regulars have realized the benefits of an over the air antenna for years, it's a phenomenon that more recently has caught on among Millennials and younger broadband subscribers looki...

Nearly 50 Percent Of U.S. Broadband Households Used A Voice-Activated Digital Assistant in 2017

“Innovations such as voice have resonated with consumers, quickly creating new opportunities for companies to leverage voice as a user interface within the consumer IoT,” said Elizabeth Parks, SVP, Pa...

Report: Broadband Users Will Drive Solar In 2017

That news comes out of a new report from research firm Parks Associates in its 360 View Update: Energy Management, Smart Home, & Utility Programs. In further good news for the solar industry, the repo...

Ridesharing Is Making It Harder Than Ever to Commit to a One-Car Relationship

Rising rideshare statistics offer plenty of fodder for utopian predictions of a car-free, community-focused future. But just because we’re using these services doesn’t mean we’re ready to give up on o...