85% of consumers still have doubts about the security and responsible management of their personal data.

Twilio's 2025 Customer Engagement Report indicates that reliability and transparency remain fundamental for consumers and a challenge for companies in the AI era. Only 15% of consumers "completely" trust what brands do with their data, implying that 85% of them have doubts about the security and responsible management of their personal information.

Furthermore, an alarming fact is that 61% of consumers feel that brands do not genuinely care about their personal data, which directly affects the relationship between these parties. This is exacerbated by the fact that, for companies, maintaining compliance is a real challenge, and 90% of them admit this.

The report indicates that 53% of companies have already experienced data protection and privacy issues, and 51% struggle with handling cybersecurity matters and threat reduction. "Changing this scenario is imperative and urgent. Trust is essential in the relationship between a brand and its customer, and maintaining it requires going beyond expectations. AI has opened new paths, but it is still fueled by data, which is central to commercial relationships," states Tamaris Parreira, Twilio's Country Manager for Brazil. "As the saying goes: trust takes years to build and seconds to lose," she concludes.

According to the executive, placing the customer at the center of the equation is fundamental to solving this situation. Although it is a delicate situation, consumers are willing to share their data when there is a return in the form of personalization. They value this relationship, but it is necessary to be mindful of the types of data customers are more comfortable sharing. These consumers are generally comfortable sharing basic information, but when it comes to more personal data, they are more reserved. The types of personal information consumers are least likely to share with companies are precisely their income level, their social media activities, their location, their job title, and their relationship status.

What is important to ensure customer trust today

The new edition of Twilio's report pointed out that the factors shaping consumer trust are changing. In 2024, data protection was the top concern, with 62% of consumers stating it was the best way for a brand to earn their trust. In 2025, this number reached 54%, ranking third in consumer priorities.

The new perception is that responsive customer service and ease of making returns or receiving refunds are the two new major consumer concerns, tied at 55% of respondent answers. This is a significant shift in the trust paradigm. "The focus now is on reliability, on getting back what might be lost, a trustworthy and simultaneously frictionless experience. Trust is built through consistency and agility in service. Data security is still important, but we are in an era where much is already shared. Long-term relationships are gaining prominence," explains Tamaris.

Reliability must be earned over time, with consistency. The report indicates it is necessary to: 

• Be transparent about data use, informing how data collection is done, how data is stored, especially when we talk about AI;
• Focus on fast and efficient service;
• Maintain consistency across all service channels, knowing how to wait for responses and interactions;
• Keep data protection and privacy promises;
• Be recognizable to the customer, maintaining your brand in communications, ensuring the communication is official.

"Trust, reliability, data security, acquiring and retaining customers. All of this is part of the same equation and are points of attention that need to be prioritized. We are at a time where there is no shortage of data. But there still must be no shortage of trust," concludes Tamaris.