In 2023, we met with 40 people aged 18 to 24 years at our Data Debate event to find out their views on data sharing. We wanted them to tell us their thoughts about how and when they share their personal information. We also wanted to know their opinions on how that information is shared and used.
We asked them:
how they feel about sharing their data
whether they think twice before sharing their data
if they think it is fair for companies to ask for their data
if they think data can be used for the greater good
what would make them feel safer when sharing their data
Comments from the people who attended included:
"I'm more likely to share my data with the ONS, they seem more trustworthy"
"I literally cannot function in society, with my friends, unless I give some sort of data over"
"I don't think it's always clear why you need to give certain information"
"If it's used positively, for action and for societal change, I think it brings an incentive for people to share their data"
Find out more about what they said in our ONS Data Debate video [opens new window to YouTube video player].
Further research about sharing data
Understanding people's attitudes about data across all parts of society is important. These insights help to inform the way we raise awareness and understanding of what we do and how we use data. This also helps to build trust in our important work.
We will continue to communicate and seek people's views on how we use data to produce official statistics.