Apple doesn’t have much of an edge over direct competitors like Google or Microsoft when it comes to perceptions about device security, according to the results of a new Reuters/Ipsos survey released Monday evening.
Asked if they trusted Apple to protect their data from hackers, 60 percent of respondents agreed somewhat or strongly. “That is in line with responses to the same questions about Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp.,” Reuters reported.
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The company did have an edge over some major tech providers. Just 44 percent expressed trust in Yahoo, while Facebook was trusted by 39 percent.
The poll also found that just one in 10 respondents considered security features like encryption and password protection to be important factors when shopping for a new phone, suggesting that Apple’s high-profile battle with the federal government hasn’t translated into profits for the company in the consumer marketplace.
Likewise, consumers likely give Apple less credit than experts when compared to the company’s competitors. Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden said over the weekend that he personally didn’t trust Microsoft. “I didn’t use Microsoft machines when I was in my operational phase, because I couldn’t trust them,” he told the annual LibrePlanet conference held in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Snowden added that distrust was especially well-founded in light of recent comments made by Microsoft founder Bill Gates that were critical of Apple’s efforts to protect privacy.
“Security is one of these things that gets people in trouble when it lapses, but it’s not something consumers are going to be shopping for,” said Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson. “This [poll] was about getting a feel to see whether Apple is seen as some kind of exemplary company. It’s not.”
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The online Reuters/Ipsos survey comprised just over 1,700 respondents and was conducted from March 11-16. The credibility interval was plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
