According to new research from The Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (CETaS), 79% of UK adults support national security agencies collecting and processing personal data to investigate terrorism and serious crime.

The study, which included a representative survey of over 3,000 UK adults alongside a citizens panel, looked at public attitudes around the processing of personal data by national security agencies. It’s the first study of its kind to measure public trust in UK intelligence agencies’ use of data.

It found that 3 in 4, or 75%, support national security agencies collecting and processing personal data to detect foreign government spies, while 69% support it to investigate a crime for which they are suspected to be connected.

However, further public support was ultimately variable depending on what was being done with the personal data: for instance, 3 in 10 people, or 28%, are opposed to personal data being used to train automated tools for predictions behaviours.

Only 52% support data collection and processing to shape long-term strategies and policies of agencies, while less than a third (28%) support it in the context of being shared with commercial organisations.

Support varied across different age groups and demographics as well, with just half of 18- to 34-year-olds (49%) supporting national security agencies processing public posts on a social media site, compared to the 61% of those aged 55 and over who support it. This is also reflected in comparisons of support from vulnerable groups (52%) to non-vulnerable (62%).

The survey’s findings also demonstrate that, generally-speaking, the public aren’t aware of what powers intelligence agencies have to collect data about them. Only 15% report being completely aware that agencies have to collect information about people in the UK without their knowledge.

Many assume intelligence agencies receive minimal overweight, and many were both surprised and reassured to learn of the hoops agencies must jump through before collecting data. That said, many were keen for more education around these safeguards.

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Speaking on the new data, Rosamund Powell, who serves as research associate at The Alan Turing Institute, said: “This research is the first of its kind examining public attitudes to data processing in a specifically national security context.

“It demonstrates that there is not just one public perspective on privacy, and that agencies must continue to seek a nuanced understanding of the factors that shape public preferences in order to ensure that data processing remains proportionate in the eyes of the public.”

Sir Brian Leveson, the investigatory powers commissioner, also added: “In an era of rapid technological change, in which the UK embraces cutting‑edge capabilities to protect the public and strengthen national security, we must ensure these tools operate under the rigorous, legal scrutiny that sustains public trust.

“I welcome this opportunity to deepen our understanding of public attitudes to UK national security and hope this research will provide a foundation for balanced dialogue and informed decision‑making.”