86% of Germans Fear Their Data Could Be Misused in COVID-19 Contact Tracing

New Okta study reveals: Consumers feel uneasy about having their data collected for contact tracing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, they remain unaware of the extent to which companies track their online activities.

Worldwide efforts are underway to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by collecting smartphone data. How do consumers in different countries view these measures? According to Okta’s latest report, “The Cost of Privacy – Digital Identity Report 2020,” 81% of respondents in Germany are concerned that data collection intrudes too deeply into their privacy and data protection. 84% worry their data isn’t secure, and 86% fear companies could misuse their data for other purposes. More than three-quarters (81%) are concerned their data might be used for personalized advertising.

Okta (NASDAQ: OKTA) is a leading independent provider of identity solutions for enterprises. The study “The Cost of Privacy – Digital Identity Report 2020” examined consumer perceptions of personal data privacy and digital privacy in cyberspace. A total of 12,000 consumers were surveyed globally, including 2,000 from Germany.

Consumers Underestimate How Much Data Companies Collect

Despite widespread distrust of data collection for contact tracing, consumers worldwide underestimate the extent to which companies track their online and offline activities. For example, 51% of respondents in Germany believe their social media activity is not tracked by platform providers, and 37% assume online retailers do not collect data about their purchase history.

Heightened Awareness of Data Tracking Due to the Pandemic

Okta’s study found that in Germany, most consumers (83%) are aware of efforts to track COVID-19 using smartphone data. Moreover, the pandemic has sharpened data-tracking awareness for more than a quarter of respondents (27%), likely due to media coverage on the topic.

Consumers Don’t Want to Monetize Their Data

A large majority of German respondents (94%) feel uncomfortable with the idea of their data being sold – especially browsing data (84%), information about offline conversations potentially recorded via smart devices (84%), and biometric data (83%).

“The irony in the current concern over data collection for contact tracing is that sensitivity drops and consumers become less aware of potential risks related to data collection once the topic is no longer directly tied to COVID-19. Many people simply don’t realize how much of their data is being collected and what the implications are,” comments Marc Rogers, Executive Director of Cybersecurity at Okta and organizer of DEF CON, the world’s largest hacking conference.

When asked whether they’d prefer to sell their data or give it away for free, over 90% of respondents across all surveyed countries said they’d take the money. 31% of Americans would accept $100 or more in exchange for allowing companies access to their browsing history or social media data. With Facebook’s 2.5 billion users, that would amount to roughly $250 billion in total.

Key Facts

Weak passwords: “123456” remained the most commonly used password in Germany in 2025.

Passwordless future: Since 2024, Microsoft, Google, and Apple have supported passkeys as a standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between data protection and data security?

Data protection governs the lawful handling of personal data (legal basis, purpose limitation, individual rights). Data security encompasses the technical and organizational measures taken to protect all data against loss, manipulation, or unauthorized access.

Does every company need a data protection officer?

In Germany, a data protection officer is mandatory if at least 20 employees are regularly involved in automated processing of personal data, or if special categories of data (e.g., health data) are processed.

What rights do individuals have under the GDPR?

The right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to object. Companies must respond to requests within one month.

More from the MBF Media Network

Header Image Source: iStock / filadendron

Fact: According to Bitkom, one in three German companies has reported at least one data breach since the GDPR came into effect.

Fact: Bitkom reports that 62 percent of German companies see the GDPR as a competitive disadvantage.

TL;DR

New Okta study shows: Consumers feel uncomfortable with their data being collected for contact tracing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Okta’s “The Cost of Privacy – Digital Identity Report 2020,” 81% of respondents in Germany are concerned that data collection excessively intrudes on their privacy.
84% fear their data is not secure, and 86% worry companies could misuse their data for other purposes.
The “The Cost of Privacy – Digital Identity Report 2020” examined consumer perceptions of personal data privacy and digital privacy in cyberspace.

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