Figure 2-2-3-2 Data utilization for service development and provision (personal data)

(Source) "Survey Research on Secure/Safe Data Distribution and Utilization," MIC (2017)

### 4. Awareness Gaps between Consumers and Companies

This paragraph looks into factors for worries about the provision of consumers' personal information or data and analyzes awareness gaps between individuals and companies based mainly on their surveys.

## (1) Factor Analysis of Consumers' Insecurity

We collected and analyzed comments on companies' utilization of personal information for Internet services and found numerous key words and their relevance (Figure 2-2-4-1). Remarkable words related to the key word of "insecurity" include "leaks," "outflow" and the meaning of "worries," indicating consumers' general worries about information leaks as incidents. Many consumers call for enhancing companies' security control, some of which are deleting information after a certain period of time and providing veto power to consumers, suggesting needs for data deletion rules and an opt-out system.

Meanwhile, respondents who tolerate companies' utilization of personal information to some extent say they tolerate such utilization in order to receive more convenient, better services. Indications are that they decide on their provision of personal information or data based on benefit they receive in exchange for the provision.

Consumers’ comments are accompanied by preconditions including the provision of necessary information such as purposes for data utilization, advanced notification and confirmation to users, and companies’ security and data control, suggesting that personal data utilization is established under confidential relationships between consumers and companies. Remarkable key words in comments on the provision of personal information in exchange for services include “no choice” and “unavoidable.” Out of 1,438 comments, 339 comments or 24.6% contained such key words. These comments indicate that consumers, while being “insecure,” use services under the awareness that they “inevitably” provide their personal information.

## (2) Comparison between Individuals' Awareness and Companies' Awareness

Matching between individuals’ and companies’ views about the handling of personal information or personal data may be important for developing their confidential relationships. In the big data age, however, companies utilizing personal information tend to view such information as their proprietary asset, and consumers generally interpret personal information as their personal asset. Consumers and companies thus have an awareness gap (Figure 2-2-4-2).

Comparison between key points given priority by individuals providing personal information to companies and by companies acquiring such information from individuals indicates that individuals emphasize “ensuring security.” Research results in present and past white papers on information and communications in Japan show that individual attention has grown more interested in ensuring security. Companies for their part give priority to acquiring appropriate consent to data provision. Companies are thus required to increase their accountability in response to consumers’ requests. How about information companies should provide to individuals when providing and collecting personal information or personal data? There is also a gap on this point between individuals and companies, as is the case with the abovementioned priorities. Generally, both companies and individuals frequently cite “purposes for data utilization,” while individuals growingly give priority to “means to ensure security,” “method to delete data” and “opt-out policy” (Figure 2-2-4-3).