Household Internet Security and Information Integrity 2021

This publication on “Household Internet Security and Information Integrity” is the first of a series of publications presenting the results of the annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey.

The data in this publication was collected as part of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey carried out in the first two quarters of 2021. The detail in this publication is a subset of the broader data collected. There will be two further publications. The first of these two extra publications is the publication on “Digital Consumer Behaviour” which will be published on 10^th December. This publication will cover individuals’ use of e-commerce including shared economy, internet activities, use of e-Government, online learning and ICT skills. Following this, the publication on “Internet Access and ICT Usage” will be published on 14^th December and will cover household internet access, individuals’ frequency of internet usage and use of devices to access the internet. Again, this last publication is a subset of the main data collection for the ICT Household Survey.

This publication today covers internet security and privacy and protection of personal data. As internet usage continues to increase, so does the amount of personal information and data which is made available online. This could be out of choice, for example somebody providing personal details to a social network in order to use their service, or it could be unwillingly, as a victim of a data breach or a cybercrime attack, as cybercrime has become increasingly more sophisticated in recent years.

The integrity of information on the internet and the fact-checking of the truthfulness of this information will also be covered in this publication.

Life in Ireland has changed quite substantially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, we are online more than ever, working from home, relying on technology and digital services. As internet usage continues to increase, so does the amount of personal information and data which is made available online. However, as we use the internet more and more, the need for greater awareness of the need to protect our privacy and personal data online grows. This publication looks at the measures that we are taking to guard our privacy and protect our personal data online. Also, with the ever-increasing volume of content on the internet, this publication explores how aware are we of the veracity and integrity of this information, and whether we are taking measures to fact-check information sourced online.

• Nearly six in ten (58%) internet users refused use of their personal data for advertising purposes. Almost two thirds (65%) of persons aged 30 to 59 years refused such access, compared with just 42% of the 16 to 29 years age group. See Table 2.1 and Figure 2.1.
• Nearly six in every ten (59%) internet users restricted access to their geographical location in 2021. See Table 2.1.
• Less than four in ten internet users (37%) read privacy policy statements when providing personal information. See Table 2.1.
• Just 6% of internet users asked websites or search engine administrators or providers to access the data they hold to update or delete it. See Table 2.1.
• Almost three quarters (74%) of internet users knew that cookies can be used to trace their online activity. Four in ten (40%) took preventative action by changing the settings in their internet browser to prevent or limit cookies, while nearly three in ten (28%) used software to limit cookies. See Tables 3.1 and  3.2.
• Over six in ten (62%) internet users saw information or content online that they considered doubtful or untrue, of whom nearly two thirds (64%) checked its veracity. See Tables 4.1 and 4.2.
• Almost all (97%) those aged 30 to 44 years, who checked the veracity of online content, checked the sources or found other information on the internet, compared with 85% of persons aged 16 to 29 years. See Table 4.3 and Figure 4.2.
• Following or taking part in online discussion regarding online content, to check its truthfulness, was carried out by 29% of internet users aged 16 to 29 years, compared with just 6% of the 60 to 74 years age group. See Table 4.3.
• Four fifths (80%) of internet users who did not check the truthfulness of online content, stated that they already knew that the information content or source was unreliable, while a further 8% cited lack of skills or knowledge to check the truthfulness of the content they saw online. See Table 4.4.