When it comes to privacy, Facebook holds the coveted title of least trusted company out there.
Between ads that seem to mimic your every move online or constant changes to its settings that often leave users scratching their heads, results of a poll conducted for CNBC show that Facebook is the most feared technology in terms of privacy, CNBC reported on Tuesday.
Out of people who were surveyed, 45 percent said they are most concerned about Facebook collecting their personal information. Google was the second least trusted, with 21 percent saying they were most concerned about the search engine giant, followed by Apple with roughly 6 percent. Privacy isn't a concern for 13 percent of respondents.
In addition, 35 percent of survey respondents said they felt the social media company was most likely to suffer a corporate controversy. Apple was second in this distinction with 14 percent and Twitter received 10 percent.
The survey was 10 questions long and distributed to selected adults who were over 18 years of age across the United States, covering all income groups. Questions were answered on Oct. 29 and 30, with a 97 accuracy level, EFT Daily News reported.
The removal of Facebook's messaging feature from its mobile app reignited the debate about Facebook's respect of user's privacy earlier this year. Those who wanted to use the site's instant messaging feature had to download a separate app that many feared was used to collect data and personal information. It received the lowest ratings among the 30 free apps for download on the iOS and Android marketplaces.
"Until they forcefully say, 'We care about customer privacy and this is why we care,' there's going to be a perception problem," said Bradley Shear, managing partner at Shear Law LLC in Bethesda, Maryland.
But the distrust in Facebook spans farther than privacy concerns. Respondents said they thought the site's $206 billion market value is exaggerated and not based in reality. Almost a quarter of those surveyed think Facebook is the company most likely to be a thing of the past in 10 years.
