A report on The Daily Dot today by Patrick Howell O’Neill discusses survey results on surveillance. Read the article or jump to the report on which it was based:
At Least Tell Me: User Attitudes Toward the Inspection of Encrypted Traffic
Scott Ruoti, Mark O’Neil, Daniel Zappala, Kent Seamons
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
Abstract:
This paper reports the results of a survey of 1,976 individuals regarding their opinions on TLS inspection, a controversial technique that can be used for both benevolent and malicious purposes. Responses indicate that participants hold nuanced opinions on security and privacy trade-offs, with most recognizing legitimate uses for the practice, but also concerned about threats from hackers or government surveillance. There is strong support for notification and consent when a system is intercepting their encrypted traffic, although this support varies depending on the situation. A significant concern about malicious uses of TLS inspection is identity theft, and many would react negatively and some would change their behavior if they discovered inspection occurring without their knowledge. We also find that there are a small but significant number of participants who are jaded by the current state of affairs and have no expectation of privacy.
You can download the survey report here (pdf).