Survey: Half of Americans Say the Internet Knows Too Much About Them, But Most Can’t Fix It
A new study reveals that many Americans feel exposed online, yet few feel in control of what appears when someone searches their name.
Research by Cloaked, a digital privacy platform, found that 50% of Americans believe their personal information is more publicly available than it should be, while only 23% say they feel in control of what appears about them online.
The findings come from a survey of 1,057 U.S. adults, alongside an analysis of Google search trends across 125 digital identity and online privacy terms from January 2024 to February 2026. Cloaked also examined all 50 states to identify where concern about online exposure and digital identity is highest.
The study suggests that Americans are becoming increasingly aware of their digital footprint, but many are struggling to manage it. More than 1 in 2 Americans (53%) who tried to remove personal information from the internet either failed or had only partial success.
Search behaviour also shows growing concern around personal data removal. Americans made more than 33 million searches related to digital identity, online privacy, and personal data removal in the past two years. Searches for “remove personal info from internet free” rose 133% year over year, making it the fastest-growing query in the study.
AI is also changing how people think about online exposure. Searches tied to AI-related privacy concerns surged 165% year over year, while nearly 1 in 2 Americans (47%) said they were unaware they could search themselves using AI tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini.
The research also found that personal data exposure is not just a privacy concern, but a safety issue. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans (29%) said they have been targeted by phishing scams or identity theft attempts tied to their online information.
People-search sites were named as the platform Americans worry about most when someone searches their name, ahead of Facebook, court or public records, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
The study also identified the states most and least concerned about digital identity based on per-capita search activity. New Hampshire ranked No. 1, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana, and New York.
At the other end of the ranking, Hawaii was the least concerned state, followed by Alaska, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Arkansas.
The full study is available here:
https://www.cloaked.com/research-hub/your-digital-first-impression
Key findings
- 50% of Americans believe their personal information is more publicly available than it should be.
- Only 23% of Americans say they feel in control of what appears about them online.
- 53% of Americans who tried to remove personal information from the internet failed or had only partial success.
- Americans made more than 33 million searches related to digital identity, online privacy, and personal data removal in the past two years.
- Searches for “remove personal info from internet free” rose 133% year over year.
- Searches tied to AI-related privacy concerns surged 165% year over year.
- 47% of Americans were unaware they could search themselves using AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini.
- 29% of Americans say they have been targeted by phishing scams or identity theft attempts tied to their online information.
- People-search sites are the platform Americans worry about most when someone searches their name.
- The top 10 states most concerned about digital identity are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana, and New York.
- The bottom five states are Hawaii, Alaska, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Arkansas.
Methodology
Cloaked surveyed 1,057 U.S. adults to understand how Americans perceive and manage their digital identity, including awareness of online exposure, confidence in what others can find, experiences with people-search sites and AI tools, and the impact of digital footprints on dating and career opportunities.
The study also analyzed Google search volume data from January 2024 to February 2026 across 125 digital identity and online privacy terms. Search activity was examined across all 50 states and adjusted on a per-capita basis to identify where concern about personal data exposure was highest.