CHAPTER V FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS, AND CONCLUSION 5.1 FINDINGS PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS ● The male respondents made up the majority (52%) of the sample. ● The largest group (43.4%) of respondents fell within the 18-20 age range. ● A significant portion (66%) of respondents reported experiencing online information theft or misuse. ● Nearly half (46.7%) of respondents reported only sometimes reading company privacy policies. ● A majority (55.3%) of respondents reported using VPN for online security. ● Over half (51.4%) of respondents who use VPNs reported doing so to protect their personal information from hackers. ● Ad-blockers were used by the majority (44.6%) of respondents. ● The majority (42%) of respondents who use ad-blockers reported doing so to protect their online privacy by blocking tracking cookies. ● The largest percentage (39.3%) of respondents reported making direct purchases through the Instagram shopping tab. ● Most (44.7%) of the respondents reported reviewing and changing their privacy settings regularly. ● A significant proportion (25.2%) of the respondents reported making changes to their data access settings. WEIGHTED AVERAGE ANALYSIS ● Nearly half (46.7%) of respondents reported being extremely concerned about privacy when sharing information. ● The majority (53.3%) of respondents reported being somewhat likely to share information when making a purchase. ● A significant proportion (41.3%) of respondents reported being somewhat unlikely to share information for rewards. ● A majority (64%) of respondents reported somewhat trusting companies to handle personal information. ● The majority (57.3%) of respondents reported that companies somewhat care about protecting personal information. ● The largest percentage (39.3%) of respondents reported being somewhat likely to share information on social media. ● The largest proportion (37.3%) of respondents reported being somewhat comfortable with using information for targeted advertising. LIKERT SCALE ● Respondents were slightly Aware of the contents of privacy policies ● Instagram users scored high (score of 433) were comfortable in sharing personal information. HENRY GARRETT'S RANKING ANALYSIS ● Respondents were mostly concerned about protecting their financial information online. CHI-SQUARE TEST ● The calculated significant value is lesser than the p-value (0.05), and the null hypothesis is accepted so there is a significant association between purchasing products on social media and gender 5.2 SUGGESTIONS 1. Companies should prioritize privacy protection measures to build trust with their customers. This includes implementing strong security protocols and making sure that customers are aware of how their personal information is being used. 2. Companies should provide clear and concise privacy policies that are easy for customers to understand. This will help customers make informed decisions about sharing their personal information. 3. Companies should offer customers incentives for sharing their personal information, such as exclusive discounts or rewards. This can help to increase the likelihood of customers sharing their information, while also building loyalty and increasing sales. 4. Companies should continue to innovate and invest in new technologies that can help to protect customer privacy. For example, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect and prevent fraud, or implementing blockchain technology to secure customer data. 5. Customers should take responsibility for their own privacy by using tools such as ad-blockers and VPNs to protect their personal information. Companies should also encourage customers to review and change their privacy settings regularly. 5.3 CONCLUSION The findings of the study reveal that individuals are highly concerned about their privacy when sharing personal information online. Most respondents expressed that they were somewhat likely to share information while making purchases, but were somewhat unlikely to do so for rewards. Additionally, there was a significant level of mistrust towards companies in terms of protecting personal information, with a majority of respondents indicating that their information had been stolen or misused online. Despite this mistrust, most respondents still made purchases online, with a majority using the Instagram shopping tab. This highlights the need for companies to be more transparent and open with their privacy policies, and to take additional steps to protect the personal information of their users. In terms of protecting their privacy, respondents reported using various tools, such as VPNs and ad-blockers, to prevent tracking cookies and protect their personal information from hackers. However, there was still a lack of awareness regarding privacy policies, with most respondents reporting only sometimes reading them. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of maintaining individuals' privacy and the need for companies to take responsibility for protecting user data. It also highlights the need for increased education and awareness among users regarding online privacy and the importance of reading and understanding privacy policies.