Online Privacy & Security

Americans see a number of economic threats from China, but they are also worried about cyberattacks, Bejing's human rights record, China's impact on the environment and its growing military strength.

Revelations in September 2013 that the U.S. government had monitored the private communications of Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff had strained relations between the two countries.

Pew Research Center has been studying various dimensions of the issue. Here are some key findings from our public opinion surveys.

Many Americans want control over their personal information and freedom from observation during the activities of their daily lives, but they are not confident that the government agencies or businesses that collect data about them can keep that information private and secure.

54% of Americans say it would be difficult to find the tools and strategies that would enhance their privacy online and when using cellphones, according to a Pew Research Center report.

The public's muted response on possible government monitoring of their online behavior differs from that of investigative journalists, whose work makes them potential targets for monitoring.

Lee Rainie details the social and business implications of a reshaped privacy landscape

Nearly two years after Snowden's revelations, 87% of Americans say they have heard about U.S. surveillance programs. Among them, 25% say they have changed their own technological behaviors in some way.

As journalism becomes an increasingly digital practice, the data and communications of investigative journalists have become vulnerable to hackers, government surveillance and legal threats. But what are these vulnerabilities – and what steps have investigative journalists taken to protect themselves?