Only 20% of people are happy to share online information for personalised recommendations

Tech Tracker now has its first set of comparative data since its facelift in Q3 2019. Over this period Voice Activated speakers have seen a significant increase in ownership. Likely due to their prevalence on Christmas wish lists. Almost 1-in-5 Adults in Britain now own one, rising from 14% in Q3 2019.

In the world of emerging technology, Video Game Streaming has entered the market with services such as PlayStation Now and Google Stadia. More than 2-in-3 GB adults are aware of the services and 10% are subscribers. 5G mobile internet continues to expand across Britain, however, according to Tech Tracker data only 4% of adults are currently making use of the infrastructure.

In Q1 2020, Tech Tracker began to track the use of Podcasts. Around 42% of GB adults are currently listening to podcasts. These listeners are on average spending just under 2hrs per week listening to podcasts. The most popular devices for podcasts are smartphones – with 84% of listeners consuming podcasts on their phones. 

Smartphones are also the most used devices when watching online content with 59% of GB adults using their phones in this way. Video content on smartphones is driven by short form video or clips on apps such as YouTube. While Smart TVs are preferred for watching video on demand content.

Tech Tracker continues to cover the public’s attitudes towards technology. Within Britain online privacy remains an important issue. Now, 2-in-3 GB adults agree they are concerned about their privacy online, while only 20% are happy sharing their online information to receive personalised recommendations. Attitudes have not shifted significantly since Q3 of 2019 and it may be that the slight changes that we have seen mark the start of a trend towards even greater concerns about online privacy.

We hope you enjoy the tech highlights we have provided in this report and we look forward to updating you again later in the year.

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Tech Tracker is designed to be used as a chart book, slides from the report can be shared freely providing reference is made to Ipsos.

A note on COVID-19:

Please note, this research was conducted in February 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in Britain. As a result, it does not provide a reflection of current technology usage and behaviour. Instead, this report should be seen as covering usage and behaviour under “typical” circumstances.