Most Canadians sort of trust that their government is doing a good job protecting their privacy—whereas a strong majority of Americans are concerned about the government possessing their data.
A majority of Canadians told pollsters from the Environics Institute and the Institute on Governance that they “somewhat” agreed that the government “adequately” protects their information.
9 percent “strongly agreed,” 31 percent didn’t agree very much, while 12 percent did not agree.
The majority called government surveillance something “the government has to do,” with one in four deeming it very important and 56 percent “somewhat important.” They were more reluctant to cheer surveillance when directly applied to their own communications, but still, 62 percent called government surveillance beneficial for democracy, while just 38 percent considered it harmful.
Most also thought the safety of their data with the government was comparable to its safety with their banks, cable, and health-care companies, according to the National Post. 17 percent trusted the government more than the private sector, while 25 percent preferred the private sector.
Americans are far less accepting of government surveillance. In a 2013 Pew poll, only 36 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “It is a good thing for society if people believe that someone is keeping an eye on the things that they do online.” 80 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they should be concerned about the government monitoring their data.
Americans also do not trust the government with a whole lot. Just 16 percent trust the government to do the right thing “most of the time,” and 2 percent trust them “just about always.”
