CreditCards.com interviewed Manatt's Donna Wilson, co-chair of the firm's Privacy and Data Security practice, for an article on how consumers can protect their privacy and increase data security while using mobile shopping apps.
CreditCards.com reports that while app developers, security experts and the federal government debate how to regulate mobile data collection, there are a number of steps consumers can take to protect their privacy. A September 2014 Experian Cybersecurity Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that consumers rarely read mobile app privacy statements. Only 22 percent of respondents said they read privacy policies before downloading an app of any kind, and 25 percent reported shopping online without reviewing mobile app privacy protections.
"Clients have to practice good data security hygiene and so do consumers," said Wilson. Until policies are revised and there's a better understanding of e-commerce security, "consumers have to take responsibility for their own security."