Privacy

Most consumers worry that corporations mishandle their personal information, says a Harris Interactive survey the AICPA and Ernst & Young LLP jointly commissioned to help practitioners better understand privacy risks their clients and employers face. Eighty-four percent of respondents supported requiring companies to obtain independent verification they follow their stated privacy policies. According to the study, Privacy On and Off the Internet: What Consumers Want ( www.aicpa.org/assurance/webtrust/what.htm ), consumers’ top three concerns are corporations’ unapproved sharing of their personal information with other companies, insufficient security for business transactions and the potential theft of confidential data.