Only 18% of Americans trust AI with their data
Only 18% of Americans trust AI with their data
https://ppc.land/only-18-of-americans-trust-ai-with-their-data-meta-ai-leads/
Publish Date: 2026-05-31 04:44:00
Source Domain: ppc.land
A new survey published on April 2, 2026 by Cloaked, a consumer privacy company, finds that fewer than one in five Americans trust AI platforms to keep their personal data secure – yet nearly all of those same people continue using those platforms anyway. The findings, drawn from 1,009 U.S. adults, map a population caught between dependency and distrust, quietly deploying small acts of resistance while accepting that logging off is no longer a realistic option for most.
The report, titled “How Americans Feel About Sharing Their Data With AI,” captures a population that feels simultaneously monitored and powerless. According to Cloaked, 64% of Americans believe AI is making decisions about them without their knowledge or consent. Nearly three in four respondents – 75% – say they feel constantly monitored by AI and the technology they use every day.
The trust deficit in numbers
The headline finding is stark. According to Cloaked, only 18% of Americans say they trust AI to keep their personal data secure. That means more than four out of five adults in the United States have no confidence that the AI platforms they interact with daily are handling their information safely.
That number acquires additional weight alongside a broader pattern that PPC Land has tracked across multiple research releases in 2025 and early 2026. A Shift Browser survey of 1,448 Americans published in March 2026 found that 81% were concerned about AI data access. A Usercentrics study from July 2025, covering 10,000 internet users across Europe and the United States, found that 59% were uncomfortable with their data being used to train AI systems. The Cloaked data adds a sharper point: discomfort has hardened into distrust. Concern about collection is one thing; a belief that the systems themselves are not secure is another.
The data most Americans refuse to share follows a predictable hierarchy of sensitivity. According to Cloaked, 88% of respondents said they were most…
