Popularity of StartPage.com and DuckDuckGo sign of consumer concern about privacy

Per Warc:

A survey of 2,500 consumers by IDC looked at key areas of privacy concern for consumers across four vertical industries (Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, and Government). This found that 84% of respondents were concerned about the security of their personally identifiable information, and seven in ten are more worried today than they were two years ago.

One possible sign of change is the growing popularity of privacy-focused search engines like DuckDuckGo and StartPage.com, Google alternatives that promise not to track their users.

Good stuff, privacy is more important than ever in todays interconnected world. I like the last sentence: "Consequently, when their private information is put at risk they are more likely than before to change buyer behavior or shift loyalty."

When people are being monitored or believe they are being watched, they act differently. The lack of privacy is a very powerful form of control. This reminds me of a psychological discussion about parents who watch their children very carefully.