Majority of Americans worry the government isn’t doing enough to protect their data

Seventy-two percent of Americans worry the government is not doing enough to protect their personal data, with 89% concerned that their data is being accessed and used inappropriately, according to a report released Wednesday by the software company Malwarebytes.

The report, which surveyed 1,500 people, found that a majority feel increasingly vulnerable to privacy violations from corporations, governments, AI tools and scammers, contributing to widespread institutional distrust.

Because people are often required to provide sensitive data to government agencies, the report highlights the need for agencies and other stewards of personal information to establish stronger privacy protections to safeguard data.

“Data is power; and we are too often asked to give up our power in today’s digital landscape,” Marcin Kleczynski, Malwarebytes’ chief executive, said in a press release. “The survey results underline the urgency for stronger, more transparent privacy laws alongside education to help consumers understand their rights and actions they can take to safeguard their personal data and identity.”

State governments hold a vast amount of data about their citizens, including personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers, driver’s license information and tax and financial information. These databases are attractive targets for cybercriminals, who often use it to extort agencies or sell it on the black market.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, all states have security measures measures designed to protect their data and IT systems, but only 32 states have statutes requiring agencies to have privacy protections. Many states’ privacy protections were enacted within the past three years, as cybersecurity threats and attacks against government have increased.

The Malwarebytes report also found that while 87% of people support national laws regulating how companies can collect, store, share and use personal data, 60% said they believed consumers will never have the ability to truly protect their data.

The survey also recorded that 70% of participants had accepted that their personal data is already “out there” and that they could do nothing to get it back.

In the absence of a comprehensive federal data privacy law, many states have enacted their own, giving consumers more control over their personal data.

As of 2025, at least 13 states have enacted laws that include a “right to delete” personal data, including, along with rights to access and correct data.