back to article Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list

Once ranked as high as number eight among companies most trusted for protecting their customers' privacy and personal information, Apple has fallen out of the top 20 entirely. Google didn't make this year's list, either, but it fell only from its previous high of 13th place. The list in question was compiled by the Ponemon …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

    "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

    How the fuck did they ever get there in the first place?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

      The fact that Countrywide - which perpetrated one of the largest consumer frauds in US history before going out of business in a blaze of non-glory - was once on the list should tell you what you need to know about this list.

      And there's Facebook also.

      1. Neoc

        Re: "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

        Wrong end of the stick: the survey isn't about how trustworthy a company is, but how much the general public trusts it.

        1. kdh0009

          Re: "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

          The appearance of Google on the list suggests research might have gone something like this:

          Man with clipboard in supermarket: "Which companies do you think can be trusted to responsibly handle your data?"

          Supermarket punter: "Hmm, Google - that's a company I've heard of, maybe them."

          It's the old "80% of people not savvy enough to avoid a researcher with a clipboard think <insert sensational headline here>".

      2. Tom 13

        Re: Countrywide

        Countrywide I can understand making the list. They were defrauding the government and their investors. When you're doing that, you're probably good at keeping secrets.

        But Facebook and Google? Yeah, that shows a fundamental problem somewhere, although it might be with the users and not the survey or its methodology.

    2. Atonnis
      Happy

      Re: "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

      You know, every once in a while I come storming into the comments section and get completely pulled up.

      You, sir, for an AC, have managed it - by writing down exactly, letter for letter, what I was going to write.

      Now I must vent my morning frustration elsewhere....grr...

    3. walatam

      Re: "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

      "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

      How the fuck did they ever get there in the first place?

      That, my friend, is the joy of Marketing and Brand Awareness. All you need to do is convince people that you are good, you do not have to be good.

    4. adnim

      Re: "Apple, Google tumble off top 20 trusted companies list"

      Deception, lies, misinformation, half truths or perhaps compelling products for the sheeple.

      All of the above?

      I really don't know how they got there. They have always been on my list of most untrusted companies.

      I await the down votes of the sheeple.

  2. Eddy Ito

    Somewhat disturbing

    So few banking and healthcare companies on that list makes me wonder why people do business with any of them.

    1. Khaptain Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Somewhat disturbing

      Because these legal criminal institutions have developed their entire existance around creating a unbreakable requirements for the products and services.

      The banking institutions must be the most corrupt entities that have ever existed and no governament would ever dare change this..

      They are the anti-thesis of honesty.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      Re: Somewhat disturbing

      The fact even one large bank is on the list makes me wonder what exactly they would have to do for people to stop trusting them?

      I'd trust an Apple/Google/Microsoft/Intel/Samsung joint venture before I'd trust US Bank or Verizon, but somehow they made the list.

      1. MrXavia
        Big Brother

        Re: Somewhat disturbing

        Well I actually do trust my bank with my personal data,

        It is in their interest to look after my data! If I trust them with a thousands of ££'s of my hard earned cash, then I can't see why I can't trust them with my personal data... I trust them more than I do a government minister....

        1. Khaptain Silver badge

          Re: Somewhat disturbing

          Then think yourself fortunate that you were not a client of one of the banks that recently went bust. When a bank goes bust you are left with nothing but the possibility to give your Minister a call or prayer........

          Trusting banks with your money is like asking a dealer to keep your stash. As long as your dealer has some stock no problem but when his runs out ....

          The unfortunate side of things is that there are no viable alternatives, at least not that I am aware of...

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Somewhat disturbing

      it could be worse, it seems that most of the companies are consumer-oriented tech/web with large tv advertising budgets, so the fact that only 2 banks made it into the top 20 is pretty impressive (and if you count the credit card companies, 25% of the list is financial services).

  3. Neoc

    The Ponemon Institute

    Am I the only one who read this a "Pokemon Institute"?

    1. Andrew_b65
      Facepalm

      Re: The Ponemon Institute

      Me too <:(

    2. Rukario
      Devil

      Re: The Ponemon Institute

      Pina pina, pinachu! When it comes to your data, gotta catch 'em all! (o^;^o)

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Makes me wonder...

    Where Sony is located, iirc they weren't mentioned.

    Considering the PSN outage not too long ago I can only guess :-)

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Seven year average

    The recent decline in trust compared to their seven year averages would seem to indicate a recent change in sentiment towards these two companies. Hardly surprising really. Microsoft seems to be static.

    In other news, Bill Gates announces that the world is tantalizingly close to eradicating polio, Google funds 15,000 Raspberry Pi to UK schools, while the late Steve Jobs' yacht 'Venus' is currently sailing to the US. It would be ironic if the questionably seaworthy 'form over function' yacht breaks up mid-Atlantic. At least Google are making an effort with the Pi deal.

  6. jzlondon
    Meh

    BBC, John Lewis?

    Where's the BBC in this list? What about John Lewis? Tesco?

    I assume this is about the USA? Context suggests that it is, but you've not explicitly stated that in the article.

    Anyone would think that this journalist's unwritten assumption is that the world ends at the US border, which would be fine if he wasn't writing for a site with a large UK presence and a worldwide readership.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: BBC, John Lewis?

      True, John Lewis would be high up there in my list of trusted companies... not just with personal data, but in general I can trust them to look after me as a customer and not shit on me from a great height once they have my money...

  7. ratfox
    WTF?

    People trust eBay?

    Who would've thunk?

  8. Great Bu

    At least bike gangs are safe....

    ...as Harley Davidson are well trusted to keep your data safe (of course, this may be because they are highly motivated by the thought of their customers coming round with a baseball bat with nails in it to discuss why their credit card numer was sold to a North Korean fraudster.....)

    1. Rambler88
      Pint

      Re: At least bike gangs are safe....

      There's a lot to be said for consumer activism...

  9. dotslash

    If you give it away...

    to technology companies giving you free services, expect to be used.

  10. Terry 6 Silver badge
    Coat

    Remember....

    These people also trust their politicians enough to have voted for them to run their country.

    1. Terry 6 Silver badge

      Re: Remember....

      Oh and why shouldn't they trust the NRA?

      The National Rifle Assn have never denied that they think it's a good idea for everyone to be running around with heavy weapons. Nutters they may be, but honest nutters none the less.

      1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

        Re: Remember....

        The National Rifle Assn have never denied that they think it's a good idea for everyone to be running around with heavy weapons.

        Perhaps more relevantly, some aspects of privacy have long been planks in the NRA platform - they're opposed to various forms of firearms registries, for example. So they have a vested interest in protecting personal information; it's part of their credo. I'm not an NRA member, so I have no experience with how they actually deal with personal data, but it doesn't surprise me that survey respondents rank them highly on this list, which after all is about perception and not actual practice.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Strange

    I wouldn't trust HP to tie my shoelaces.

  12. Robert Helpmann??
    Childcatcher

    Ode to Trust... or... There's One Born Every Minute

    The list is an wonderful illustration of how ridiculously gullible people are.

    Also, the finish caught my eye: The most trusted non-profit organization? The National Rifle Association (NRA). Because of the likely results if anyone involved is caught out in a lie. In all seriousness, I would imagine this is going to change as its leadership seems to be at odds with its members on many of the issues in the current debate over gun control in the US.

    1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Re: Ode to Trust... or... There's One Born Every Minute

      I would imagine this is going to change as its leadership seems to be at odds with its members on many of the issues in the current debate over gun control in the US.

      What does that have to do with how the organization is perceived for protecting personal information?

      Many of the commentators today seem to have difficulty comprehending the differences between public perception and actual practice, and between trustworthy handling of personal data and trustworthiness in general. The survey deals only with the former in both cases.

      (Also, I'm curious about this claim that NRA leadership and membership are more conflicted than usual; I hadn't seen that reported anywhere. But then I hardly try to keep track of the no doubt labyrinthine politics and internecine struggles of the NRA.)

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's a funny thing

    So apple is in the title of this and not even making the list? Is it because of all the fandroids that get bated to an article?

    I do wonder as well what data loss apple has actually had to warrant such a response. I know it is the reverse of the question, but as this is about an company not featuring on the list I was just wondering.

  14. Lennart Sorensen
    WTF?

    Totally invalid averages

    How can you say that a company that scores 17 one yeah, but doesn't make the top 20 the other six years has an average of 17? It is clearly much higher than that given in six of the seven years it ranked worse than 20th.

    By their averaging methods a company that got a 1 in one year and NR in the other 6 years would have an average of 1, while a company that got a 2 in all seven years has an average of 2. Clearly that's wrong.

    I am not good at statistics, but I am not as bad as they are.

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