HP Survey Uncovers Secret Behaviors Behind Screen Creeping and Peeking

As part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, HP released the results of a survey on privacy issues. It uncovers secret behaviors of consumers to better understand today’s top privacy concerns and motivations behind why people “creep“ on PC screens and “peek“ at documents found in printer trays.

To further analyze how human behavior impacts both business and personal decisions, HP commissioned a global survey of approximately 3,000 general consumers and 1,500 office workers across Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. Survey confirms device screen creeping and peeking in office print trays is human nature, but the act of ‘peeking’ at someone else’s screen, whether at home, at work or during a commute, is far more common than we thought.

Based on the U.S. survey results, 7 in 10 Americans are worried about online hackers and with 73 percent believing it’s inevitable that they will be compromised at least once, the prospect of being creeped on is stealing our peace of mind. In fact, 85 percent of Americans feel that other people should mind their own business and not glance at someone else’s screen.

There is also a feeling of paranoia and discomfort among respondents; 83 percent admit they restrict the content they look at in public out of concern that others might see, and 8 in 10 admit to looking at others’ screen without them knowing. And while few do so with malicious intent, 1 in 5 say they creep when they could gain something from it. But be careful whose screen you look at; 49 percent of respondents admit to either looking at or having seen others looking at “not safe for work“ content in public.

This phenomenon extends into the workplace, exposing confidential information to coworkers who aren’t supposed to see it. According to U.S. survey findings, 73 percent of office workers creep on coworkers’ PC or phone screens, and 3 in 4 peek at unclaimed documents left in office printer trays. This behavior proves that office workers can often be opportunistic, with 44 percent of respondents admitting they would look at it, make a copy, take a picture, or take it, if they found an unclaimed document in the printer tray. More than half say they rush to the printer every time they print something personal to prevent someone else from seeing it first.

With most respondents feeling defenseless against creeping and peeking behavior, the general public and office workers alike are looking for PC and printer manufacturers to provide built-in security features that give them more control of their privacy. In fact, 72 percent of U.S. respondents wish there were a button they could press on their PC that would make people unable to see their screen, and 66 percent feel laptop manufacturers should make it more difficult for others to look at their screen.