Respondents were asked how they manage access to their personal data. Examples of personal data include name, date of birth, identity card number, contact details, credit card number, photos, geographical location, etc.
There was a high level of awareness of internet security amongst respondents. Nearly six in ten (57%) internet users Checked that the website where they provided personal data was secure, while 47% Limited access to their profile or content on social networking sites or shared online storage. Over half (55%) said that they Refused allowing the use of personal data for advertising purposes, while over four in ten (41%) geoblocked and Restricted or refused access to their geographical location. Nearly one third (32%) Changed the settings in their internet browser to prevent or limit cookies on any of their devices, while 11% Uses software that limits the ability to track their online activities (on any of their devices). One in six (16%) Asked websites or search engines administrator or provider to access the data they hold to update or delete it, while 36% Read privacy policy statements before providing personal information. See Table 9.1.
Internet users aged 30 to 44 years seemed to take most precautions to manage access to their persona data online. Nearly seven in every ten (68%) persons in this age group Checked that the website where they provided personal data was secure, 63% Refused allowing the use of personal data for advertising purposes and six in ten (59%) Limited access to their profile or content on social networking sites or shared online storage. Almost half (49%) of internet users in this age group Restricted or refused access to their geographical location, compared with 36% of persons aged 60 to 74 years. Four in ten Read privacy policy statements before providing personal information and also Changed the settings in their internet browser to prevent or limit cookies on any of their devices. Nearly one in five (17%) internet users aged 30 to 59 years Asked websites or search engines administrator or provider to access the data they hold to update or delete it, while one in twelve of this age cohort Uses software that limits the ability to track their online activities. See Table 9.1 and Figure 9.1.
Note that more than one option may have been selected by respondents.
| Security related incident | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Checked that the website where they provided personal data was secure | 61 | 54 |
| Refused allowing the use of personal data for advertising purposes | 54 | 56 |
| Limited access to their profile or content on social networking sites or shared online storage | 47 | 47 |
| Restricted or refused access to their geographical location | 42 | 41 |
| Read privacy policy statements before providing personal information | 40 | 34 |
| Changed the settings in their internet browser to prevent or limit cookies on any of their devices | 41 | 27 |
| Asked websites or search engines administrator or provider to access the data they hold to update or delete it | 17 | 15 |
| Uses software that limits the ability to track their online activities | 13 | 10 |
Internet users use a variety of secure electronic identification (eID) procedures for accessing online services (such as e-mail, social media accounts, internet banking, public services, ordering or buying goods or services online, etc.) via websites or apps. By far the most commonly used procedure for accessing online services was Simple login with username and password, with eight in every ten (80%) using this form of identification for online services. See Table 9.2.
Some online services use stronger electronic identification procedures, to prove one’s identity electronically when accessing online services. Nearly six in ten (58%) internet users Entered a code sent to a mobile phone by regular text (randomly generated one-time use code), while one in five (21%) used a Security token. Security tokens are most commonly used by banks and financial institutions for customers accessing their bank accounts online. Such institutions also use eIDs such as Single use PIN code or random characters of a password and 17% of internet users surveyed reported they used eIDs. See Table 9.2.
Four in ten (40%) use their social media (social networking) login to verify their identity when using a different online service. See Table 9.2.
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