3 min learnNew DelhiJun 18, 2026 05:18 PM IST
The marketplace for pre-owned smartphones has grown quickly in India, with the re-selling units turning into extra widespread. Nevertheless, many shoppers stay involved that their delicate private knowledge may very well be recovered from a re-sold gadget even after taking precautionary measures corresponding to manufacturing unit resetting. A brand new survey report means that these considerations may very well be well-founded.
Over 83.3 per cent of respondents stated that they carried out a manufacturing unit reset of their smartphone earlier than resale. Nevertheless, 31 per cent reported efficiently retrieving deleted knowledge from a telephone, in accordance with a client survey revealed by Cashify, an Indian re-commerce platform, on Thursday, June 18.
The survey of 8,000 respondents is targeted on smartphone resale and knowledge privateness. It discovered that over 41.1 per cent of respondents acknowledge {that a} manufacturing unit reset could not completely delete all knowledge. Moreover, 74 per cent are involved about potential misuse of private knowledge after promoting their smartphone.
The findings of Cashify’s newest client survey spotlight how knowledge safety has turn into a crucial belief situation in India’s rising resale market. It comes at a time of rising participation in smartphone resale, with 56.6 per cent of respondents stating they’ve offered or exchanged a tool.
“Gadgets immediately carry years of private, monetary, and id knowledge. As resale volumes scale, knowledge security can’t stay a person burden. It must be handled as a default duty of organised platforms and the techniques that allow re-commerce, supported by clear coverage frameworks,” stated Nakul Kumar, co-founder, Cashify.
“Fundamental deletion practices are broadly adopted, however confidence stays restricted as a result of generally used strategies don’t assure full erasure. As consciousness of knowledge restoration dangers will increase, uncertainty across the adequacy of casual or incomplete safeguards continues to form client notion,” the survey report additional stated.
Different key findings
Cashify’s survey reveals that whereas smartphone re-selling is turning into mainstream, client nervousness over knowledge safety can be rising. Over 45.3 per cent of respondents stated that they contemplate knowledge privateness and safety as an important issue when selecting the place to promote their smartphone. One other 29.5 per cent ranked value as an important issue.
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68.6 per cent stated that they’d belief a resale platform extra if it provided licensed safe knowledge deletion, whereas 83.3 per cent stated an information deletion certificates is essential when promoting their smartphone, in accordance with Cashify.
Respondents additionally signalled expectations from the broader ecosystem, with 87.2 per cent calling for stricter legal guidelines on knowledge deletion earlier than smartphones are resold.