U.S. Postal Service again honoured as ‘Most Trusted’
The premier privacy trust study in America has named the U.S. Postal Service the “Most Trusted Government Agency” for the fourth year in a row.
The survey asked 9,000 Americans, selected at random, to rank 74 federal agencies based on the agency’s ability to handle and protect personal information. Questions ranged from factors creating trust in the agency and the levels of confidence consumers have in the agency to protect their information, including information provided on websites, to limiting the amount of information collected.
The survey shows that those agencies with the most public interaction — and demonstrate a healthy respect for maintaining public trust — have always scored well over the years, Dr. Ponemon said.
Survey respondents also listed worries they had about how the federal government uses their personal information. News items continue to influence consumers’ attitudes toward trust. Both Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration are among the five least trusted agencies in a year when political debate surrounding immigration policies made headlines, he said.
The premier privacy trust study in America has named the U.S. Postal Service the “Most Trusted Government Agency” for the fourth year in a row.
More than 86 percent of the 9,000 Americans surveyed by the Ponemon Institute ranked the Postal Service first among 74 agencies as the one that is best able to keep their information safe and secure. The Postal Service has increased its privacy trust score every year since the survey began four years ago.
Delores Killette, vice president and consumer advocate, attributed the number one ranking, in part, to the trusted relationship Americans have with letter carriers who deliver mail to every home and business six days a week. They know their letter carrier by name. Carriers are a welcomed and trusted member of the local community, she said.
The survey asked 9,000 Americans, selected at random, to rank 74 federal agencies based on the agency’s ability to handle and protect personal information. Questions ranged from factors creating trust in the agency and the levels of confidence consumers have in the agency to protect their information, including information provided on websites, to limiting the amount of information collected.
The survey shows that those agencies with the most public interaction — and demonstrate a healthy respect for maintaining public trust — have always scored well over the years, Dr. Ponemon said.
Survey respondents also listed worries they had about how the federal government uses their personal information. News items continue to influence consumers’ attitudes toward trust. Both Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration are among the five least trusted agencies in a year when political debate surrounding immigration policies made headlines, he said.
But the largest privacy concern, the study shows, is “loss of civil liberties and privacy rights,” with 57 percent of Americans listing this concern first. About 56 percent listed “surveillance into personal life” and almost half (47 percent) said “monitoring of email and Web activities” were their top privacy concerns.
More than 40 percent listed identity theft as their top concern, up from 29 percent in 2007, with most citing concerns with the secure websites and the Internet. According to the Federal Trade Commission, mail accounts for only 2 percent of all identity theft. But for the Postal Service, even 2 percent is too much. In February the Postmaster General sent a letter to every address in America that included a brochure on preventing identity theft.
