Trust and consent: what consumer brands need to do differently

TL;DR: Trust is conditional, with banking at 57% and healthcare at 49% while automotive falls to 13%, according to Usercentrics’ 2025 State of Digital Trust research, and the strongest trust drivers are transparency, security guarantees, and control over data sharing. For identity and privacy teams, the lesson is that trust is governed through visible rules, meaningful choice, and accountable data practices, not brand messaging.

Editorial analysis by NHI Mgmt Group, based on content published by Usercentrics: “Why trust varies by industry and how brands can rebuild stronger”.

Key questions

Q: How should brands design consent flows so users actually trust them?

A: Treat consent as a governed decision point, not a legal checkbox.

Q: Why does transparency matter so much in identity and trust services that handle sensitive user data?

A: Transparency matters because trust depends on being able to verify behaviour, not just hear claims.

Q: What breaks when data collection feels opaque or extractive?

A: People stop treating the relationship as reciprocal.

Practitioner guidance

• Design consent for reversibility Make decline, withdrawal, and preference changes as easy as acceptance, and ensure the interface does not degrade service as a penalty for refusing non-essential tracking.
• Write plain-language purpose statements State what data is collected, why it is needed, and what the user receives in return at the moment of request, not buried in legal text.
• Minimise collection to the stated purpose Review data requests against necessity and user benefit so the default path collects only what is required for the specific service outcome.

Bottom line: Consumer trust depends less on sector reputation than on whether data use is visible, proportionate, and easy to control.

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