A new Pew Research Center survey reveals that nearly all Americans feel they've lost control over how companies collect and use their personal information. The survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project asked 607 U.S. adults about their privacy perceptions following Edward Snowden's exposure of government surveillance programs last year. The study found that most have "little confidence" in the security of communications tools ranging from social media sites to phones, and less than a quarter think that it is easy to be anonymous online. Some 81 percent said they don't feel secure using social networking sites when they want to share private information. More than half of respondents are insecure emailing or texting private details, such as health issues. And 80 percent of those who use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are concerned about advertisers and businesses accessing the information they share on the sites. Two-thirds of them think the government should do more to regulate those advertisers.
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