Security and privacy appears to be an issue for Canadians when using a mobile device for banking and shopping, according to a survey from KPMG International.

Only 19% of Canadians surveyed feel comfortable using their mobile phone for financial transactions, compared to 34% of global respondents.

In addition, only 15% of Canadians have done banking through a mobile device compared to 45% globally.

And while 8% of Canadians have made purchases using a mobile phone through a retailer’s site — double the amount from last year, that’s significantly less than global consumers at 28%

“These consumer concerns over privacy and security are pivotal to the continued adoption of e-commerce and mobile commerce,” says Brendan Maher, national industry leader of KPMG’s information, communications & entertainment practice. “Companies that implement robust policies and safeguards and provide for full disclosure of these measures are likely to reap the rewards through enhanced customer attraction and retention.”

This spring, KPMG surveyed more than 5,000 consumers in 22 countries, including 300 in Canada, in order to continue to track the consumer landscape and future market implications.

The survey offers up some suggestions to the challenges faced by companies as they relate to converged technologies and consumer behaviours; it reveals that Canadians continue to seek free content and are relatively advertising adverse:

– 85% of Canadians are not willing to pay for access to site content through their mobile phone and would look for the same or similar content elsewhere through a free site, compared to 76% in the US and 57% globally;

– in Canada, advertising in exchange for lower prices or free content/services is more willingly received on a PC than on a mobile phone, at 45% and 21% respectively; however, global respondents are more willing with 56% indicating they would receive it on their PC and 42% on their mobile phone.