Half of Americans Believe Feds Have Snooped on Their Internet Activity

Americans understand there is no way to guarantee the privacy of their Internet searches, and now one out of two thinks it's likely the government has monitored their Internet activity or that of someone in their family.

A new Rasmussen Reports poll found 60 percent of Americans who use the Internet at least occasionally consider their Internet communications at least somewhat private now, with 21 percent who feel they are very private. Twenty-eight percent think their Internet activity is not private, with 8 percent who say it is not at all private.

But 75 percent of all Americans believe it is no longer possible to guarantee that an individual's Internet searches will remain private. Only 7 percent think such a guarantee is possible, while 18 percent say they aren't sure.

Fifty percent of likely American voters now think it is at least somewhat likely that the government has monitored their Internet activity or the activity of a member of their family, while a smaller number -- 35 percent -- considers that possibility unlikely.

People using the Internet daily are even more convinced their Internet activity isn't so private and believe government monitoring of their Internet activity is likely.

The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted Nov. 2-3. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.