Verified Trust Is the New Currency: Trua’s National Consumer Survey Highlights Growing Concerns Over Security and Transparency in Digital Platforms

Only 18% of Americans surveyed have high confidence that service providers are adequately vetted on popular apps for ridesharing, dating, home services and accommodations
60% are willing to pay extra for enhanced background checks of service providers
A majority worry about the safety of their personal data across various online platforms for jobs, ridesharing, dating, home services, finance, banking and accommodations

Verified Trust Is the New Currency: Trua’s National Consumer Survey Highlights Growing Concerns Over Security and Transparency in Digital Platforms

Media Contact:
Michael Tebo
Gabriel Marketing Group (For Trua)
Tel: 571-835-8775
E-mail: michaelt@gabrielmarketing.com

Trua, a pioneer and leader in reusable, verified, digital trust credentials, today released the findings of a new consumer survey that sends a clear message: Online platforms must prioritize stronger security, data transparency and identity verification—or risk losing consumers. The survey reveals that trust and safety are critical in shaping consumer purchasing decisions and influencing platform adoption.

The survey, “The State of Trust and Safety in Online Marketplaces,” was conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Trua. It surveyed 2,000 adult Americans to assess consumer attitudes toward trust, safety and transparency using rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft; home services apps like TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, Rover, HomeAdvisor and Care.com; job search platforms including Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster and ZipRecruiter; accommodation platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo; dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, OKCupid and Match.com; and financial apps such as PayPal, Venmo, CreditKarma and SoFi.

Trust Sells: Consumers Will Pay More for Safety

Trust and transparency aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re deal breakers in the digital marketplace. A significant majority (86%) of respondents say an online platform’s reputation for safety and security is important to their decision to use it. When finding and hiring a service provider through online platforms, “pricing and transparency” and “trust and safety measures” ranked first and second out of 10 criteria. Also, 60% of respondents say they are willing to pay extra for enhanced background checks that shield them from fraud, criminal activities and AI-generated accounts and bots. Additionally, 58% are more likely to endorse platforms with clear safety and security policies, emphasizing the growing importance of trust in the digital economy.

Demand for Rigorous Background Checks

More than 85% believe online platforms must conduct thorough background verification for service providers. This sentiment is especially strong among Generation X (86%) and Baby Boomers (91%).

Confidence in Platform Vetting is Low

Despite their reliance on online platforms, only 18% of consumers feel "very confident" that platforms adequately screen service providers. Confidence dips further among Generation X and Baby Boomers, with only 50% and 39%, respectively, expressing any level of assurance in current safety measures.

Data Transparency Falls Short

A striking 87% of respondents believe online platforms fail to communicate clearly how personal data is used and safeguarded. Nearly half of Generation X and Baby Boomers rate platform transparency as “not very clear” or “not clear at all.”

Financial and Identity Concerns Abound

Fraud or scams (55%), identity theft or account hacking (43%) and payment security issues (36%) are the top concerns among consumers who use online platforms. Only 41% feel confident about the protection of their financial data during online transactions.

Bot or Not?

75% of consumers fear bots masquerading as humans on online platforms.

Convenience Comes at a Cost

The survey sheds light on privacy concerns across various platforms:

Job Platforms: 67% of users worry about data breaches on sites like Indeed and LinkedIn.
Home Services Platforms: Nearly 70% of users are cautious about sharing personal information on platforms like Care.com and Thumbtack.
Rideshare Apps: Over 60% expressed significant concern about their data's security on Uber and Lyft.
Dating Apps: Privacy fears deter 72% of users from using apps like Tinder and Bumble.

The Way Forward: Consumer Priorities

The survey highlights consumer demands for better data practices:

Privacy-First Identity Verification: 78% back systems that verify identity without sharing personal information every time an interaction occurs with a service provider, either online or in person.
Americans Want a Bigger Say in How Their Data is Used: 91% want a stronger say in how their data is handled during processes like loans, insurance and job applications.
Transparency Matters in Background Screening: 77% of respondents insist on reviewing their background data before it is used by institutions, a figure that climbs to 85% among Baby Boomers.
Quality of Screening Data Matters: A combined 66% are fairly or somewhat confident companies use accurate data for hiring decisions. For financial institutions, confidence drops, with 55% expressing trust in their data accuracy, while 44% remain doubtful, citing limited or no confidence in the accuracy of screening data in decision making.

What This Means for Online Platforms

"The message from consumers is unmistakable—trust, safety, and transparency now outweigh convenience in importance," said Raj Ananthanpillai, founder and CEO of Trua. "Businesses that fail to evolve in response to these shifting priorities face a significant risk of losing consumer confidence and, ultimately, their competitive edge. Today's consumers expect more than just functionality; they demand a secure and accountable online experience. This survey serves as a crucial wake-up call for companies to reevaluate their strategies, placing trust and transparency at the core of their operations to meet the heightened expectations of today’s consumers."

To download the full set of findings in an ebook, go to https://truame.com/trua-customer-survey-ebook/.

Survey Methodology

Commissioned by Trua, “The State of Trust and Safety in Online Marketplaces” survey was conducted by Talker Research, a research company specializing in online quantitative research and polling, between Dec. 2 and 6, 2024. It surveyed 2,000 adult Americans about their attitudes toward trust, safety and transparency in the digital age.

About Trua

Trua is a pioneer and leader in reusable, verified digital trust credentials for identity verification, user authentication, fraud detection and background screening. TruaID™, TruaScore™, and Trua-CE™, Trua's three flagship products, are the first digital verification solutions that are portable, reusable and continuously updated, allowing individuals to store and repeatedly share verified trust credentials securely across different organizations and platforms. Combining advanced encryption, novel authentication technologies, layered security and a comprehensive verification process, Trua holds several patents for its technological innovations and leverages blockchain technology to create an inalterable identity record with an auditable chain of custody. Trua's technology is proven to save organizations substantial costs in operations, risk mitigation, regulatory fines and potential litigation. Trusted by Fortune 500 organizations in financial services and healthcare and providers of critical infrastructure, marketplaces and digital platforms, Trua is transforming how businesses and organizations interact with individuals to verify their identity and create trust credentials. Trua is based in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area. For more information, visit https://truame.com/.