With data-sharing enabling everything from smarter cities to more sinister surveillance, the public debate around privacy is becoming increasingly complex. Canvas8 spoke to Alisa Frik, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, to understand how people are weighing up the pay-offs.

From tracking and tracing to logging temperatures, the COVID-19 outbreak has made data-sharing a part of daily life for many. But how do people feel about relinquishing this privacy? Canvas8 spoke to eight Britons to find out their views on sharing health data during the pandemic.

Britons’ level of concern over the use of their data by companies has almost halved since 2018. With many consumers fatigued by data policies but also keen to help slow the spread of COVID-19, people are increasingly seeing both the positives and pitfalls of data harvesting.

Some people want to control all their appliances with their voice, others want to sleep soundly at night, knowing their home is secure. German people are increasingly embracing smart home technology to better their quality of life, but barriers to entry prevent some from experiencing the luxury.