While most New Zealanders feel positively towards Google, more than half think the search engine should be regulated to protect personal privacy, a poll indicates.

The poll from UMR Research found an overwhelming 94 percent of people in surveyed had positive opinions of Google and 73 percent felt the same way about Facebook.

Google should be regulated to protect personal privacy, 54 percent of respondents said, while 51 percent thought Facebook should be regulated.

The poll also showed New Zealanders were more trusting of the internet heavyweight than Australians.

When asked if Google was doing a good job protecting people's privacy, 54 percent of New Zealanders thought it was, compared with 45 percent of Australians. About one in four New Zealanders believed Google manipulated search results for its own benefit compared to one in three Australians.

About the same number of New Zealanders (67 percent) and Australians (69 percent) opposed Google sharing local data with American intelligence agencies such as the FBI, NSA and CIA.

Nearly half of the New Zealanders surveyed thought Facebook had too much power (46 percent), but only 19 percent felt the same way about Google.

UMR Research surveyed 1000 New Zealanders aged 18 years and older in April. Australians were surveyed in March. The NZ poll had a margin of error of 3.7 percent.

- NZPA

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