New Survey: Privacy Concerns Are A Top Barrier to AgeTech Adoption Among Older Adults

Rapidly growing agetech industry has a significant opportunity to close trust gap, increase product adoption with increased transparency

WASHINGTON, D.C. — (July 20, 2026) — The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) — a global non-profit focused on data protection, AI, and emerging technologies — today released findings from a comprehensive March 2026 survey about how older adults and caregivers perceive and use technology to support aging, often referred to as “AgeTech.” The survey results highlight significant concerns and uncertainties among older adults about AgeTech’s ability to protect privacy and deter fraud.

The nationally representative survey, designed by FPF in partnership with the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, was conducted by YouGov in March 2026. With a sample size of 1,000 adults aged 55+ (older adults) and 1,005 caregivers of older adults, respondents were randomly assigned to evaluate two of four hypothetical AgeTech concepts: an AI companion platform with caregiver look-in cameras; a smart medication dispenser with caregiver alerts; AI financial management and fraud detection; and an expense and prescription savings app utilizing location data. 

Key findings from the survey include:

• A majority of older adults are unsure if AgeTech will protect their privacy – and that has real implications for product acceptance. While concerns about usability were relatively low – only 18% of older adults were unsure about their comfort using an app, and only 20.1% were unsure about purchasing it – 50.9% were unsure if AgeTech apps respect their privacy. Higher levels of privacy trust were closely tied to greater product acceptance among respondents. 
• Caregivers approve of AgeTech at higher rates than older adults across the board. The starkest divide is regarding the AI companion with a caregiver-controlled camera: older adults scored it at just 28.5% comfort, while caregivers scored it 15.5 percentage points higher at 43.9%.
• Privacy trust must precede cost interventions. Offering insurance coverage for an app led to a strong increase in adoption among users who already trust its privacy. However, for those who distrust the app’s privacy, insurance had only a negligible impact.
• Existing tech engagement is the primary driver of adoption. A person’s gender, income, and education level are not significant predictors of their willingness to use AgeTech. Instead, the strongest predictors of acceptance are how many digital devices they already own and whether they have prior awareness of aging support technologies.

“AgeTech has the potential to help us all live longer and more independent lives. It is critical that we get it right, and we all have a role to play in that process,” said Jules Polonetsy, CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum. “It is clear the industry has some work to do to alleviate concerns about fraud, privacy, and cost, and policymakers should give a close look at opportunities to address the fragmented regulatory landscape. And it’s on all of us to have important and difficult conversations with loved ones as they age and help them find the balance of privacy and autonomy that they are most comfortable with.”

The survey findings, which will inform a report and recommendations for policymakers, are set to be released later this fall, as well as an infographic depicting the landscape and variety of AgeTech, build on FPF’s ongoing AgeTech research, supported by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Earlier this year, FPF convened a roundtable of industry and academic experts to discuss the ethical, legal, and policy challenges presented by the rapidly expanding field of AgeTech. The roundtable discussion centered on many of the same themes highlighted in the survey results, including how the rising phenomenon of fraud and financial theft severely undermines trust in AgeTech products, and the close link between trust and adoption. 

“One of the biggest takeaways from our early AgeTech research is the importance of transparency for companies seeking to increase among older Americans and their caregivers,” said Jordan Wrigley, senior technologist with FPF. “As we saw in this survey, when AgeTech users do not have sufficient information to determine whether or not an AgeTech product or service is privacy respecting, it may reduce likelihood of adoption as much as active distrust of technology. These are engaging and solvable social challenges that require human-centered and data-driven solutions among industry.”

“Most people assume distrust towards technology is the problem,” continues Dr. Laura Brandimarte, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, and Annie Villarreal, graduate of the MIS program in the same College. “Interestingly, uncertainty can be nearly as damaging in terms of willingness to adopt AgeTech. This is consistent with literature on human aversion towards ambiguity in general, by which people dislike not knowing what the likelihood of an event is, whether good or bad.”

FPF has also published a series of guiding questions for policymakers and privacy experts as they navigate AgeTech, a consumer guide to the world of AI-enabled AgeTech, and guidance for home-care providers. Click here to view a recording of a recent FPF webinar about how technology can better support older adults, and what challenges still stand in the way of broader adoption. 

To learn more about the Future of Privacy Forum, visit fpf.org. 

Aging at Home: Caregiving, Privacy, and Technology is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation under Grant No. G-2025-25191.

About The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a not-for-profit, mission-driven grantmaking institution dedicated to improving the welfare of all through the advancement of scientific knowledge. Established in 1934 by Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr., then-President and Chief Executive Officer of the General Motors Corporation, the Foundation makes grants in four broad areas: direct support of research in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics; initiatives to increase access and opportunity in graduate science education; projects to develop or leverage technology to empower research; and efforts to enhance and deepen public engagement with science and scientists. sloan.org | @SloanFoundation

About Future of Privacy Forum (FPF)

FPF is a global non-profit organization that advances principled and pragmatic data protection, AI and digital governance practices. We convene leaders across industry, academia, and the public sector to provide expert analysis, benchmarking, and best practices that support responsible innovation and regulatory compliance. FPF has offices in Washington D.C., Brussels, and Singapore. Follow FPF on X and LinkedIn.

About the University of Arizona Eller College of Management

The Eller College of Management at The University of Arizona offers highly ranked undergraduate (BSBA and BSPA), MBA, MPA, masters, and doctoral, Ph.D. degrees in accounting, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, management and organizations, management information systems (MIS), and public administration and policy in Tucson, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona.