MICROSOFT: People Are More Scared About Internet Privacy Now Than Ever Before

2014 wasn't a great year for Internet security. Between the giant Sony hack that's being called one of the biggest corporate breaches in history to the iCloud hacks that exposed celebrities' private photos, there have been plenty of reminders of the dangers of cyber space.

In its second annual View From Around The Globe poll, Microsoft surveyed internet users worldwide to see how differently people view consumer technology. This year, users in almost every country polled said that technology has a negative impact on privacy, with India being the only exception.

That's a five-point increase compared to last year's study.

"Privacy has been a concern but there's no question that it's reaching much higher levels than we've seen before," Mark Penn, Microsoft's chief strategy officer, said to Business Insider.

Most internet users also said they do not feel that they are completely aware of the information that's being collected about them.

Microsoft

There was a strong consensus in how legal matters relating to the internet should be handled, too. Most of those surveyed felt internet users should be governed by the local laws of the country in which they live- not the local laws of wherever the internet service provider is based.

"They want to know what's being collected," Penn said. "And they're looking for local laws to govern."

The study took place between Dec. 17, 2014 and Jan. 1, 2015, with "developed" countries being defined as the United States, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. "Developing" countries referred to in the study include Brazil, India, Russia, China, Turkey, South Africa, and Indonesia. Global research-based consultancy Penn Schoen Berland did the polling.