Internet users across Europe are most protective about data concerning their financial situation and share it the least with third parties in the digital environment. Czechs, in terms of data sharing, are even considered the most secretive nation in Europe. Among the data they still willingly share with businesses, services, and applications are contact details (44%). Nearly two-fifths of Czechs (39%) provide their personal information to third parties. The third most frequently shared item is data about shopping behavior and preferences for certain products or brands (37%). However, compared to other nations, Czech consumers remain reserved, despite not having negative experiences with data misuse for the most part, according to an international survey by EOS KSI, which focused on the current value of internet users' data.

We're cautious about financial matters. When it comes to purchases, we share a lot.

Contact details, personal information, shopping behavior, and details about favorite brands fall into the category that Czechs are most willing to share with third parties. Conversely, Czechs are most protective of their health data and share it rarely (10%). They are also more reserved than other European countries when it comes to sharing location, GPS, and movement data. Only one-third (27%) share their location with third parties. "Data is, of course, a valuable commercial tool. Often, they can significantly help, for instance, emergency services in determining the location of someone in danger or in contact tracing. Sharing financial data can enable companies to better assist clients struggling with loan repayments, as it happens in our sector. Caution is certainly commendable, but people should recognize the limit where secrecy might harm themselves," explains Vladimír Vachel from the collection agency EOS KSI.

However, the paradox is that almost two-thirds of Czechs (61%) either don't have negative experiences with sharing data with third parties or are unaware of such issues. Czech consumers aren't significantly skeptical about companies and data sharing. They are even less distrustful than the European average. This approach also reveals another inconsistency in online behavior— a quarter (25%), for instance, doesn't adjust cookie settings on individual websites and automatically gives consent. "Cookies are a good example, aiding website personalization. They help the website remember a user's past settings or which personal details to pre-fill in forms. We allow our web browser to know quite a bit about us," says Vladimír Vachel, adding: "The survey results indicate that there is a need to strongly build digital trust and literacy regarding data sharing in our country. Also, to combat misinformation surrounding data misuse and slow down the advantages of digitalization. There's a significant responsibility for companies in education."

About the survey: What value do data hold?

The extensive international study "What value do data hold?" conducted by EOS in collaboration with Kantar in the first half of 2020 involved a representative sample of individuals aged 18 and over in seventeen countries. The sample consisted of 1,000 respondents from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Croatia, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and 300 respondents from North Macedonia. Participants answered questions about how they handle their data, how they provide it to third parties, trust in companies, and readiness to sell data for compensation.

EOS KSI Czech Republic, s.r.o., is part of a multinational network of 50 companies operating in more than 25 countries, specializing in financial services and all aspects of debt collection. The EOS Group was founded in 1974. EOS is a reliable partner known for providing the highest level of services. The company's finances are entrusted to prominent banks, insurance companies, leasing companies, consumer credit providers, as well as companies in the telecommunications, wholesale, and retail sectors. The group's headquarters are in Hamburg (Germany). Apart from Germany, the EOS Group is directly represented in Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Croatia, Ireland, Canada, Hungary, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Romania, Russia, Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United States, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Indirectly, it operates in another 150 countries worldwide.
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