Privacy for all

Nearly three-quarters of Americans want the federal government to establish national data privacy standards, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MeriTalk survey also found that upward of 60 percent of Americans believe their social media activity and physical location information is not secure online.

Delayed action: Lawmakers in Washington have yet to pass a digital privacy bill through Congress, and this delay may have soured Americans’ belief in the ability of the government to protect their data.

Fifty-six percent of respondents said they trust the private sector to do a better job at improving online data privacy and security than the federal government.

Not happy: Only 23 percent of Americans surveyed said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the federal government’s current efforts to protect their privacy and personal data online.

Congressional lawmakers have sought to pass data privacy legislation for years, but disagreements over the role of individuals to enforce provisions and interaction with state bills has prevented bipartisan consensus.