Two recent UN surveys show conflicting views of ecommerce and Internet:

1. The PayPers report that: “Alipay and Wechat Pay have enabled USD 2.9 trillion in Chinese digital payments in 2016, representing a 20-fold increase over the past four years, a new study from United Nations reveals. The data shows that digital payments, using existing platforms and networks, provide access to a wider range of digital financial services, expanding financial inclusion and economic opportunity throughout China and neighbouring countries.”
2. A new UNA global survey - 2017 CIGI-Ipsos Global Survey on Internet Security and Trust - reveals that Internet users are increasingly concerned about their online privacy, and that 49 percent of users polled say lack of trust is their main reason for not shopping online. The survey, conducted by Ipsos and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Internet Society, showed that;
   • among those worried about their privacy,the top sources of concern were: cybercriminals (82%), Internet companies (74%), and governments (65%)
   • Lack of trust is most likely to keep people off e-commerce platforms in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America
   • great differences in e-commerce behavior when it came to how users are purchasing goods online. For example, in China, India and Indonesia, more than 86 percent of respondents expect to make mobile payments on their smartphone in the next year, compared with less than 30 percent in France, Germany and Japan
   • Fifty-five percent of global respondents indicated that they prefer purchasing on-line goods and services made in their own country

Trust in e-commerce is vital

The lack of trust is of concern to many in the e-commerce business, e.g. Sally Wentworth, Vice President of Global Policy for the Internet Society, said, “The findings of this year’s CIGI-Ipsos survey underscore the importance of taking action now to build stronger online trust by addressing users’ concerns and using technologies such as encryption to secure communications.”

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* The survey of 24,225 Internet users was conducted by global research company Ipsos, on behalf of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) between December 23, 2016, and March 21, 2017. The survey was conducted in 24 countries—Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

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CTMfile take: In e-commerce two features are critical: 1) ease of use, e.g. service needs to be seamless and invisible, and 2) trust because, on the web, you don’t really know a: who you are dealing with (are you a dog?), and b: who is listening/monitoring the transaction.