The respondents said they had deleted apps because they felt personal data was being used for purposes they had not agreed to.

Osborne Clarke’s data commercialisation expert Stephen Groom, said: “Many companies are data heroes – finding the right balance between providing services and products in exchange for the right to use some consumer data. But those who overstep the mark – the data zeroes – can begin to lose their client base as consumers delete their apps.”

He pointed to how consumer attitudes can quickly change on the use of their data. “Just nine months or so ago, research conducted for Ofcom indicated an implicit and in many cases misplaced trust in apps’ use of personal data compared to the user experience when browsing the internet generally. These new findings suggest consumers are rapidly becoming much more savvy and are therefore of particular concern.”

Dr. Mark Mason, CEO and founder of Mubaloo, added: “When businesses are building mobile applications, the objective has to be to add value to the customer during the interaction. If this value is realised, then customers are prepared to share a certain amount of personal information. However, businesses need to understand that the balance between perceived value and disclosure is very delicate and transparency over data usage is essential.”

YouGov’s total sample size was 2,021 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken online between 22nd – 25th August 2014.  The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).