In March 2014, we conducted bespoke research with Contagious Communications across the US and the UK, to understand how people define privacy; what they consider the biggest breaches of privacy, what steps they take to protect their privacy, and ultimately to understand if a new definition of privacy is emerging. We conducted research through an online community of 40 people, 10 each from four generational cohort (Post Millennial, Millennial, Gen X, Boomer) in the US and UK we discussed these issues in depth. This was followed up by 8 in depth face to face interviews. This is a full report of our consumer research.

1. Privacy

2. In March 2014, Flamingo on behalf of Contagious
Magazine, conducted bespoke research to
understand:
•How do people define privacy?
•What are the biggest breaches of privacy?
•What steps are people taking to protect their
privacy?
•What privacy-protecting tools and services are
people most interested in using?
ULTIMATELY, TO UNDERSTAND IF A NEW DEFINITION OF
PRIVACY IS EMERGING
BACKGROUND

3. We started off with a hypothesis generation and kick
off session between Contagious and Flamingo.
Followed by an online community with 40 people
•10 each from four generational cohorts (Post
Millennial, Millennial, Gen X, Boomer)
•Equally split between London, UK and New York, US
8 x filmed 2 hour depth interviews
•Following up with selected people from the online
community
•2 people from each generational cohort
•Equally split between UK and US
THIS PRESENTATION IS THE STORY OF WHAT WE
FOUND….
METHODOLOGY

4. PRIVACY – THE CONTEXT
2

5. WE ARE LIVING IN A More voyeuristic society
THE MORAL CODE FOR THE INTERNET IS STILL A
WORK IN PROGRESS
All are aware of it and mostly see it as ‘normal’.
They are also all guilty of it and have come to
demand more information on others / brands.
Invasions are expected, and most of them are
accepted.
However, very often, things go wrong and they are
not sure how to react.
This is more obvious online, where there are few
boundaries and rules.
.. the truth of matter is everything is
traceable and is able to be
tracked from the moment we post
something online or even walk
along the street, with so many
cameras around, the reasons for
this is simply because the internet
and technology is so accessible to
all and because it is not being
done in front our faces we are not
always even aware.
Millennial

6. THERE IS SOME DISCOMFORT ABOUT LOSS OF
PRIVACY
THEY CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT ‘IDEAL
PRIVACY’ WOULD BE
But most haven’t realized the full extent of this loss
or what it really means.
Not sure what the alternative is, usually accept it
‘as business as usual’.
Concerned about privacy but not preoccupied
by it.
People running these things most
certainly don't care one bit about
me as an individual. Who knows
where the information I post goes.
But to be honest, it doesn't worry
me, as I really limit the things I share
on the web.
Post Millennial
I have to accept being tracked
online: shopping, emails, social
media etc. Its never going to
change and will probably only
increase. Do you spend your time
worrying about what you put out
there or do you have fun living?!
Yes, we need to be cautious but
we also can't waste time being
paranoid about our actions.
Millennial

7. THE DESIRE IS TO SHARE WITHIN 4 DISTINCT SPHERES
PRIVATE
PERSONAL
PUBLIC
WORLD
ONLY ME
+
Partner, parents, best friends
Close friends, family
Colleagues, acquaintances,
‘social media friends’
Government, brands,
everyone else

8. THE CLOSER IN ‘OTHERS’ GET TO THE PRIVATE,
THE BIGGER THE BREACH
Partner
Parents
Best
Friends
SACRED!
•Private, sensitive
information
•No one to know, unless
I share it
•Most violated if
breaches happen
here.
•E.g, secrets, intimate
details of relationships,
financial data,
passwords, text
messages and emails,
medical information
Close
Friends
Family
Colleagues
Acquainta
nces
‘Social
friends’
Govt.
Brands
Everyone
Else
PRIVATE PERSONAL PUBLIC WORLD
IMPORTANT
•Personal information
•My fears, hopes and
dreams
•My achievements
•E.g. . relationships
details, personal stories
and news, specific
photos, texts, emails
SHAREABLE
•Things I am willing to
openly share with
people
•E.g. Photos on social
media, music, trends,
media I consume, likes
and dislikes, interest,
tips and
recommendations,
building my brand
BARE NECESSITIES
•Things people need to
know about me to
either provide a better
service / saving or to
protect me
•E.g. government
gathering data to
prevent terrorism,
maintain law and
order. Companies
tailoring products and
services. Transacting
online
BUT THE LINES BETWEEN THEM ARE CONSTANTLY BLURRING

9. THEY KNOW THAT THEIR INFORMATION HAS VALUE
Value comes because information can now be
traded. Know their data is being transacted
between companies for monetary benefits.
Feel violated when they are left out of this trade,
and information is used / sold without consent.
Being able to alternate on own terms, between
these circles, helps enforce boundaries and uphold
terms of exchange.
THEY WANT A FAIR DEAL
Even if you have key, they can
break the padlock. You hope you
have the master key and they can
only open small bits. But you don't.
You both have a master key. Even
if you delete things, they have
records.
Post Millennial
Privacy is your power—God is God
because he knows everything
about you and you don’t know as
much about him.
Gen X
The security and privacy equation –
a trade off between security and
inconvenience.
Boomer

10. THEY ARE REGULARLY MAKING TRADE OFFS
FOR EVER INCREASING BENEFITS
People also know there is risk in sharing sensitive
information from the private sphere (e.g. financial
information) with the world (e.g. companies like
Amazon etc.)
A sense of quid pro quo where a loss of privacy is
a manageable sacrifice - for ease, efficiency,
convenience, relevance, discovery, savings,
context, continuity, protection, to connect, build
a personal brand and security.
Not looking to reset the internet – understand that
the conveniences they enjoy are not really free.
I know that supermarkets are
tracking my buying habits, Amazon
are tracking my reading material,
but I don't really mind because this
is allowing them to target their
marketing specifically to my needs,
and not swamp me with offers for
services and products I have no
interest in.
Insurance companies and banks
are similarly engaged. They are
doing this for marketing purposes,
which I think is legitimate.
Boomer
These ads are generic a
sledgehammer – I would rather you
laser pointer approach me.
Boomer

11. PRIVACY IS A PACT
BASED ON MUTUAL RESPECT AND TRUST
Hope that the party the information is shared with
will maintain their side of the bargain and preserve
the integrity of the sphere.
As the ‘value’ of information is subjective, it relies on
trusting the people you are trading with. It is a
currency, but unlike the financial world, it is not
regulated and has room for misinterpretation.
This is why people compartmentalise to ensure
security.
I consider my personal messages
between loved ones and friends to
be private. Not because anything
that is said is embarrassing or even
particularly intimate sometimes, but
just because I believe it should be a
person's right to decide who gets to
read the things they write online.
Millennial
Non-verbal contract. I trust you
enough to give you these details,
but then trust you not to share them
Post Millennial

12. BREACHES ARE WHEN THINGS LEAK OUT, WITH no
benefit to them
Some breaches are acceptable, they were a
conscious choice or because they ‘over-shared’.
Other times breaches are out of their control and
don’t benefit them in any way, and therefore
unacceptable.
A friend sharing secrets with someone is as much of
a breach as a company using information without
consent.
These breaches are also unable to maintain the
integrity of context - it’s never understood as it was
intended.
THEY ARE CONSTANTLY NEGOTIATING THE
ACCEPTABLE
Privacy to me is the ability to keep
aspects of myself, my private life,
my political views, protected from
others that I feel have no reason to
know these things. This is why I am
very careful with what I may write
on social networks about family,
friends, and myself and expect the
same from them.
Even in normal conversation with
others I tend to hold back on
certain things that I feel they don't
need to know, or things that may
be taken out of context, and used
against me in a way that it was not
intended for, or misunderstood.
Gen X

13. BUT REALISE THAT THEIR DATA HAS SHARED
OWNERSHIP
Know that once they put something ‘out there’
others can influence / co-own it.
So, accept responsibility for the consequences.
Know self censorship is key to enforcing control.
However, if companies co-own the data, they must
share responsibility of keeping it safe. They also must
recognise the value of it and ‘reimburse’ them.
Instead companies try and wrest more and more
control away (hiding / complicating privacy
settings, setting the default option to ‘share’,
automatic opt in), often acting irresponsibly.
THAT ALSO MEANS SHARED RESPONSIBILITY
I think it’s a mixture of self
responsibility and the company.
When you buy something online
from a store it is their total
responsibility to keep your credit
payment information safe.
On social media I think it’s a mixture
of both. The social media program
should offer security settings that
you can choose from but they
have the responsibility to abide by
them and make clear what you
allowing them to share.
Still, I think people need to practice
restraint on social media because
you hold the responsibility of having
made the decision to post the
thing.
Post Millennial

14. GOVERNMENT MUST BE Most responsible of all
People think the government needs to know more
to protect them, ensure security, and prevent
terrorism.
This is a fair return. An accepted reason for keeping
/ demanding more information.
Breach happens when government fails to protect
information and it is leaked or misused by them or
others with harmful intent.
Many feel that government must also play a part in
policing companies and preventing malicious
breaches in privacy.
AND MAINTAIN IT’S END OF THE PRIVACY ‘PACT’
I feel somewhat concerned that
someone could be tracking all
websites that are visited and by
whom--mostly because I don't
understand computers enough to
know whether this is a real possibility
or not.
Obviously there has been a lot
written recently about
government's monitoring--so I
would think the most likely culprit
would be some sort of
governmental agency. I also worry
about criminals trying to steal
identities through various hacking
schemes.
Gen X

15. TODAY THE BALANCE OF POWER IS UNEQUAL
AND UNFAIR
THEY WANT RECIPROCITY, NOT JUST
TRANSPARENCY
Feel ‘the world’ knows a lot more about them, than
they know about companies / government.
Companies also don’t value their data the way
people do. Makes them feel powerless.
This is also exacerbated when the intent of use by
others is unclear, it is used without consent, or for
malicious purposes.
They want:
• To get back as much as they put in – have
things happen for them, not to them
• Clear value propositions - active
awareness to decide whether service is
worth the price of admission
• Intimacy to ensure a balance of power –
know about you as much as you know
about me
In some respects you feel that it is
our own fault for exposing
ourselves, or putting ourselves in a
vulnerable situation where we are
at the mercy of the Internet and
others that control it- we do have
to take some liability for some of
the information we choose to
share.
But in the modern age of internet
banking, paying bills, food
shopping, clothes shopping,
holiday shopping, you feel you are
left with no choice but to go with
the flow- you have to move on with
the times.
Gen X

16. THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE VALUE WE PLACE
ON OUR INFORMATION AND THOSE WHO TRADE IN IT
‘THE WORLD’ MUST REALISE THE ‘REAL VALUE’ AND ALLOW FOR A FAIR
EXCHANGE

17. 3
Role of sharing

18. ILLUSION OF MORE CONTROL
OVER INFORMATION ONLINE
BUT INTENT OF USE BY THIRD PARTIES IS
UNCLEAR
Security settings offer ‘levers’ to pull.
Visible defences e.g. firewalls offer reassurance.
BUT how these settings work, what actually happens
to the information, remains an enigma.
The same lack of understanding contributes to
offline privacy fears – e.g. impossible to understand
who owns CCTV data or how it is used
I have my Facebook wall set to
private, so only I can see what’s on
my wall. Other people can’t see
what everyone else has posted.
Post-millennial

19. PEOPLE FEEL Obliged to trust OTHERS WITH
THEIR INFORMATION
THE ONLY OTHER OPTION IS ISOLATION
To take part in many facets of modern life is to
participate in an exchange of information e.g.
Paypal having our card details to allow for one click
payments.
Only way to opt out, is not participating at all – this
is not a fair choice.
So our default setting is always ‘ON’.
I don’t’ think you have control,
my address is out there. I’ve
given it to a company and now I
have no control.
Millennial

20. ISOLATION WOULD MEAN LOSING OUT ON MANY
Opportunities
THE CURATION OF PERSONAL BRAND(S) HAS
BECOME A NECESSITY
Digital spaces have become repositories for entire
lives. Online records e.g. photos, act as ‘proof’ of
doing things. Internet has made us creators.
By organizing and collating information, we can
curate different versions of ourselves.
Younger people understand that different tools are
more appropriate for different messages and to
reach different audiences – actively use it to create
a personal brand.
e.g. Twitter – inflammatory – everyone
vs.
Facebook – considered – my friends and family
I have used Facebook or social
media to promote myself. I
wouldn’t put the bit about my
crazy student suing me on my
public page but I put it on a group
page. There are circles that see
more of who I am
Boomer

21. AND IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO SHARE
BUT SHARING BEHAVIOUR HAS BEEN MODIFIED
…and share readily
Internet was designed as a tool for sharing and
openness with a promise of anonymity. Now have
unprecedented opportunity to be heard as
ourselves.
With this power comes a need to curb instincts and
mediate behaviour. Oversharing can reveal true
self, even when not appropriate.
Inappropriate sharing offline has a localized
impact, whereas online has a worldwide reach –
both are equally as damaging (those in your
personal / public circle find out v/s you are on show
to / at risk from strangers).
I share pretty much everything. If its
of use to other people I give it
away. There’s more opportunity to
share now whether its ideas, music,
anything.
Boomer

22. AS EVERYTHING IS TRACEABLE
ONCE IT’S OUT, IT’S OUT FOREVER
Everything leaves a ‘behavioural residue’ – a trace
of ourselves.
Online behavioural residue is transmitted in data
exchanges that can be easily uncovered. This
increases the value of the ‘secret’, it is always there
to be traded in!
Before digital technology, secrets were kept in the
head (or diary).
Now stored on the phone or device, at risk of
someone being able to read it e.g. the telecom
network / a hacker.
The more you contribute via the
internet the less choice you have.
You become another categorized
statistic and, it then defines you
e.g. You become a green jumper
buyer
Gen X

23. STILL, Ideal PRIVACY IS NEVER ANONYMITY
IT IS NEITHER PRACTICAL NOT DESIRABLE
Being anonymous forgoes many of the benefits to
be had from sharing. It doesn't’t allow them to
‘trade’ on the internet or create a brand that could
be worth something.
Also, being part of the crowd provides anonymity,
without requiring action.
Using anonymous tools and services suggests
something to hide. It would be singling yourself out
from the crowd.
You only need anonymity if your
views are likely to cause you
problems. Why are people against
identity cards? They would get you
out of trouble.
Boomer

24. SO PRIVACY MEANS…
CONTROL
To decide how and where it lives on
(or not) as desired
ALL THESE 3 CRITERIA ARE NEVER MET IN ANY ONLINE SITUATION
FREEDOM
to create and curate as desired
CHOICE
To share and withhold as desired
Banks
Note: Government, CCTV,
other surveillance don’t allow
for any of these.
Cloud
storage
Letters, hard drives,
photos hard copies –
offline content

25. HOW DO you BECOME SECURE, TO CREATE AND TRADE,
WITHOUT ABANDONING THE INTERNET?
‘I like being anonymous but still being able to share my opinion, alone but not
lonely’
Post Millennial

26. 4
GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES

27. Across the generational cohorts we see a range of
differences.
These present themselves as a sliding scale rather than
pronounced step changes.
We suspect this is driven by the evolution of the internet
and the life-stage at which an individual first
encountered it.

28. GEN X / BOOMERS are more concerned about
privacy
MILLENNIALS / POST MILLENNIALS ACCEPT THE
SITUATION
Have more assets – a lifetime of savings financially
and emotionally – so more to lose.
Post Millennials in particular can afford to be
reckless – have nothing to lose except malleable
social data.
Boomers and Gen X can remember a time when
very little was tracked. Still view CCTV with distrust
and as a (necessary) intrusion.
For Millennials / Post Millennials, this is part of the
world they have grown up with and the reasons to
justify it are embedded.
The anxiety comes in through the
imagination, the unknown will
cause the anxiety because you
start asking all these questions.
Gen X
There is power that comes with
privacy, life is like a poker game. If I
show you my hand, I’m going to
lose every time, if you didn’t know
too much about me, privacy is my
power.
Gen X

29. PARENTS FEEL THEIR CHILDRENS’S PRIVACY IS OUT
OF THEIR CONTROL
Parents feel they cannot control teenagers’
information sharing e.g. they password protect
their own devices.
Or protect teenagers from themselves – mistakes
and experiments are potentially shared worldwide.
With younger children the default is to shield them,
although there is also a desire to share their
achievements with others.
Young people learn about privacy and sharing by
experience. Gone are the days when their
friend’s would ring the house
phone. My daughter changed her
boyfriend’s name in her phone to
something else and deleted me
from Facebook.
Gen X
TRYING TO BALANCE URGE TO SHARE V/S
PROTECT

30. GEN X / BOOMERS view the internet as a utility
MILLENNIALS / POST MILLENNIALS VIEW IT AS A
SOCIAL TOOL
..this is the purpose it initially delivered.
Have different expectations of the experience.
View it as an information tool that provides data
and enables them to transact business.
Millennials / Post Millennials see the internet as
having many functions, one of the most relevant is
a social tool. Consider online experience as 2 way
exchange of information – to create and consume.
Many tools allow them to share freely with others,
something they are keen to do.
My friend applied for a job and
didn't get it – she only found out
why from someone who worked
there. They saw things they didn't
like on her Facebook. Work life and
private life should be completely
separate.
Boomer

31. MILLENNIALS / POST MILLENNIALS UNDERSTAND
THEIR DATA HAS VALUE
In part because of this 2 way relationship with the
internet.
More inclined to understand the merits and
drawbacks of trading their data with brands – a
value exchange.
Gen X / Boomers have less understanding of the
worth of their data, don’t see the benefits. Can
often be reluctant to participate, security fears
override rational decision.
All cohorts agree that tracking of data is
acceptable provided it is authorised and has a
clear benefit e.g. highly targeted ads.
I get discounts, updates, news
about releases. That’s what I get
for giving out my info.
Post Millennial
They are not more reckless than older people,
JUST PLAYING by different rules

32. WILL YOUNG PEOPLE CREATE A NEW DEFINITION OF
PRIVACY?
AND TURN IT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE?

33. 5
BREACHES AND THE FUTURE

34. AS NOTED, people ARE RESIGNED TO THE ‘NECESSITY’ OF SHARING DATA WITH
COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENT.
THE REAL WORRY IS NOT KNOWING THE INTENT BEHIND GATHERING DATA, AND HOW /
WHERE IT IS USED OR STORED.

35. MaliciousCustomary
Unacceptable
Tolerable
Fraud leading to financial loss
Identity theft leading to defamation
Medical data breaches
Financial information, credit ratings effected
Gossip and betrayal
Looking through personal correspondence
Being tagged on social media without consent
Cold calling/ Junk mail/ Spamming
Profiling to make suggestions
Employer looking you up
Targeted marketing
CCTV
Invasion of personal space
THIS IS OFTEN THE SOURCE OF UNACCEPTABLE breaches

36. Complete privacy is considered a luxury
IT IS UNATTAINABLE…
…but not one that currently money can
always buy.
The lack of guarantees is evidenced by the
extraordinary intrusions upon the much richer
and powerful.
I think ultimately I am
responsible for protecting
my privacy as surely
entrusting this to someone
else is a big ask? There are
no guarantees – look at
what’s happening the
much richer and more
powerful people than me!
Boomer

37. BUT WE DO Take measures to keep out obvious offenders
…..THOUGH nobody thinks they are doing enough
Hide
•Private browser tools
•Maximise Facebook’s security
settings
•Fake details to set up accounts
•Clear cookies and cache
•Shred name and address on all
correspondence
Avoid
•Accessing sensitive information in
public places
•Clicking on pop ups
•Sites that want a lot of personal
information
•Posting pictures of children
•Invites to free online offers
•Attachments from unknown
senders
Lock
•Security pin on phones
•Change passwords for key
accounts
•Log out as a rule
•Shut off all data collection
extensions
Block
•Antivirus software
•Firewalls
•Ad blocks
•Register with a telephone
preference service
Check
•Credit/ bank balance frequently
•For unexpected automatic bill
payments
•Automatic downloads or
programs on their computers
•References before accepting
friend requests
…
Censor
•Careful what they post online
•Careful what they say in crowded
public places
•Avoid gossiping about others

38. Nobody wants to try something new because it
risks exposure
PEOPLE LIMIT, RATHER THAN CHANGE BEHAVIOUR
FOR MORE SECURITY
Lack will power to walk away from familiar and
easy options because don’t feel have enough
knowledge or autonomy to secure information on
their own.
As a result, likely to resist new products
• Till they reach ‘critical mass’ – so that their
guarantees can be subject to real scrutiny
• If they are not as easy or efficient to use as
other options – don’t want to be
inconvenienced
• Or require one to form new habits –
getting it wrong can amplify the risk
(though they are willing to adapt or modify
an existing behaviour).
Duck Duck Go would
need a stronger reputation
before I would be
encouraged to use it
Boomer
It’s a nice idea but it’s a
little too early to be sure if
it is in fact anonymous.
Gen X about ‘Whisper’

39. THERE ARE 3 KEY THINGS BRANDS NEED TO DO TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SECURE
CONTROL
Commit
compensate

40. GIVE PEOPLE MORE CONTROL
Give them the master key – they own it and you have it on rent – they can take
it away when they like.
Examples:
•Be transparent about why you are collecting information and what you intend to do with
it
•Explain why you share information with third parties, what they do with it and how it
benefits them
•Don’t opt people in, instead make it easy for them to opt out
•Do not automatically access contacts, never share on their behalf
•Let them delete something permanently – so it’s gone forever

41. COMMIT to their safety
Be proactive in response to privacy norms – be on their side and protect them.
Examples:
•Have a robust password verification processes
•Increase level of automated protection – be like the banks, automatic log outs
•Tell people the measures you take to prevent security breaches
•Be responsive when something goes wrong
•Don’t hide privacy settings – or put out privacy policies that are hard to follow

42. Compensate THEM WITH CLEAR BENEFITS
Make it a fair exchange!
•Explain terms of exchange and let them choose if they want to be part of the deal
•Explain the pros and cons of all options
•Tell them what’s in it for them
•Always take permission
•Share the benefits!

43. THANK YOU!

44. Created by:
Arunima Kapoor
Aaron Yeates
Samira Raj
Email:
Arunima.kapoor@flamingogroup.com
Aaron.yeates@flamingogroup.com
Samira.raj@flamingogroup.com
Postal Address:
1st Floor, 1 Riverside
Manbre Road, London
W6 9WA
Telephone:
+44 207 348 4950 (Switchboard)
Website:
flamingogroup.com
Blog:
flamingolondon.com
Twitter:
@flamingolondon