By Milos Djordjevic, Online Privacy Expert, VPN Central
Online privacy is a hot topic in the modern threat landscape. It concerns both companies and individuals. No one can ignore it.
The first step in addressing this question is to inform yourself. We’ve rounded up the most important online privacy stats, including facts about social media, online shopping and data protection.
Let’s see the numbers.
Here are some of the most relevant statistics when it comes to online privacy.
- 79% of Americans are not confident that companies will admit to misusing and compromising their data.
- The average cost of a data breach in the US is $9.44 million.
- 92% of consumers don’t trust shopping recommendations from chat or website pop-ups.
- By 2022, 70% of Internet users worldwide have taken steps to protect their online activities.
- Of all social media, Facebook collects the most data about you.
- 77% of US adults know of a company that uses their data to target ads.
- 48% of respondents believe they cannot control the search terms they use.
- Less than half of US consumers say they trust social media and other online services to protect their data.
internet privacy statistics
Let’s check out some amazing statistics about internet privacy in general.
- 48% of respondents believe they cannot control the search terms they use.
(Statista)
Nearly half of American adults are concerned about their online searches. Beyond that, they said they had no control over:
- Websites visited — 41%
- Buy online — 45%
- Private conversations and text messages — 37%
- Social media posts — 35%
- Physical location — 28%.
- Nigerian internet users are most concerned about online privacy.
(Statista)
According to a 2019 global study by Statista, 82% of Internet users in Nigeria are concerned about their online privacy. They are closely followed by Egyptians at 76% and Indians at 73%.
The United States comes close to the bottom, coming in 20th with 47%. Interestingly, German users are the least concerned at 26%.
- 41.4% of all websites use cookies.
(W3Techs)
Cookies are one of the most popular tools websites and advertisers use to track your online activity.
Of these, insecure and non-HttpOnly cookies are the most prevalent, both at 75.2%. Session cookies (69.9%) are also more common than persistent cookies (55.9%).
- 47% of respondents have updated their website’s cookie policy in the past 12 months.
Online privacy statistics show that nearly half of businesses have updated their cookie policies in the last year. Additionally, 80% have updated their website’s privacy policy at least once.
There are other changes as well. 42% of respondents deleted their customers’ personal data more regularly in 2019.
- By 2022, 70% of Internet users worldwide have taken steps to protect their online activities.
(Statista)
As of December 2022, 7 in 10 respondents have taken steps to protect their identities online. given the concern digital footprint statisticsThis is not surprising.
The most popular form of protection was parental control at 36%.
Other commonly used security measures include:
- Multi-factor authentication — 36%
- Privacy settings on device — 30%
- Identity theft protection services — 28%.
Social Media Privacy Statistics
Social media platforms are one of the most vulnerable online spaces. The next fact is hard to argue with.
- Of all social media, Facebook collects the most data about you.
(Clario)
Facebook is the platform that uses the most data. We collect 79.49% of your personal information, such as your hobbies, pets, favorite shows, and more.
Instagram is next with 69.23%. TikTok came in third with 46.15%. Finally, Clubhouse and Twitter were evenly matched at 33.33%.
- Less than half of US consumers say they trust social media and other online services to protect their data.
(Deloitte)
According to internet privacy statistics, 47% of consumers trust social media and websites to keep their data safe. The majority want better privacy practices.
Nonetheless, the same study found that they weren’t doing their best to protect their data. 41% used different passwords on websites as their primary security measure.
take a look Password reuse statistics Proving that this is a step in the right direction. But that’s not enough.
- 79.2% of people adjusted their social media profile privacy settings or reduced usage.
Over the past year, most social media users have changed their privacy-related settings or reduced their time on these services. Furthermore, 23% of respondents “deleted or disabled their social media profiles due to privacy concerns”.
Of those, 28.5% deleted their Twitter accounts and 30.5% deactivated their Instagram accounts.
online shopping privacy
Online advertising is often at the top of internet privacy concerns. Here’s why.
- 50% of US adults believe that online advertisers should not store information about their visits.
The majority of US adults expect limits on how long data is stored. 50% of them believe that online advertisers should not keep their data.
They are also unfamiliar with social media, video sites and search engines that keep records. At the same time, 28% of respondents did not mind credit card companies recording their activity over several years.
- 77% of US adults know of a company that uses their data to target ads.
Online privacy statistics show that American adults are well aware of ad targeting. 77% know that companies build user data profiles based on online browsing. 75% of them believe that all or most businesses rely on this tactic.
- 92% of consumers don’t trust shopping recommendations from chat or website pop-ups.
Influencing consumers with technology is becoming increasingly difficult. A whopping 92% avoid pop-ups and chat when it comes to shopping recommendations.
Beyond that, 81% don’t trust ads on mobile devices. Only 23% of consumers believe social media advertising is trustworthy.
data privacy statistics
Here are some interesting trends surrounding privacy regulations and practices.
- The average cost of a data breach in the US is $9.44 million.
(IBM)
A data breach can be a costly mistake. According to IBM’s 2022 report, the United States topped the list with $9.44 million. The average global cost of a data breach is $4.35 million.
- 25% of Americans are asked to agree to a privacy policy almost every day.
A quarter of adult Americans say they have to agree to a privacy policy almost every day. 32% said this happens about once a week.
However, only 22% read the policy thoroughly before agreeing to the terms.
- Indian internet users are most aware of their country’s data protection and privacy rules.
(Statista)
60% of Indian internet users are familiar with national data protection and privacy rules. Germany follows closely behind with 59%. Egypt and the UK are tied at 57%.
The United States is near the bottom at 18th.
- 79% of Americans are not confident that companies will admit to misusing and compromising their data.
Data privacy statistics show that most Americans don’t believe companies will admit their mistakes and hold them accountable for misuse of their data. Furthermore, 69% do not trust companies to use their data in ways they are comfortable with.
conclusion
Netizens and consumers are increasingly aware of how pervasive internet privacy issues are. As a result, businesses and organizations are under pressure to regain trust.
Our digital privacy statistics reveal a slowly growing rift between them. And more users are taking the first steps to minimize their digital footprint and protect their information.
Nevertheless, strong security measures and a transparent privacy policy will always inspire confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is online privacy important?
Your online privacy is important because your data is a valuable asset. Even information that might be trivial is useful to businesses and cybercriminals. It is important to keep your data safe as it can be used against you or sold for profit.
How to protect your privacy online?
There are several ways you can protect your online privacy:
- Create a strong password
- Avoid excessive sharing on social media
- Use a password manager
- Enable multi-factor authentication
- Adjust privacy settings in the app
- VPN installation.
How Many People Are Affected by Internet Privacy?
Internet privacy affects everyone with a digital footprint. According to online privacy statistics, 62% of US netizens We believe that it is impossible to go about our daily lives without the company collecting data.
About the author
Milos Djordjevic is a digital marketer with a passion for technology. He has built his career in cyber security and online privacy helping organizations and individuals stay secure in an increasingly complex digital world. Milos holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and has over 10 years of experience on the web. You can contact us online at milos_djordjevic@vpncentral.com and his website. https://www.vpncentral.com/