83% of consumers would change operator if their privacy was compromised

London, 26 April, 2012 AdaptiveMobile, the mobile security company, today reveals that 83% of consumers would change their operator if their privacy was compromised. According to AdaptiveMobiles third Global Security Insights in Mobile report, polling 1024 consumers, eight out of ten consumers feel extremely strongly about security, representing both an opportunity and a threat for operators today. However, the public is also willing to invest in good security, with 75% willing to pay more to gain privacy-protected apps.

Many operators do provide guidelines about security, but it is clear that consumers can still feel uncertain, said Ciaran Bradley, VP of Handset Security. This research highlights opportunities for operators to both increase revenue and lower churn, achieving the twin and often irreconcilable goals for MNOs and MVNOs.

According to the survey, 59% of consumers currently feel out of control of their phone security, indicating that there is still significant caution around matters such as downloading free applications. In fact, 1 in 6 consumers admit to simply refusing to download an app if they believe that their privacy would be compromised.

Consumers today are smart but need reassurance from their operators, concluded Bradley. If users browsing apps from the App Store, or Android Marketplace do not feel that their security is in safe hands, they will either refuse to download applications, or vote with their feet and find another operator. However, users who feel safe in their choice of operator will not only stay with that provider, but may also pay extra for security services, which is a highly desirable outcome for all concerned.