A global survey conducted between November 2022 and January 2023 revealed that seven in ten respondents had taken steps to protect their online identity. Those who enabled multi-factor authentication were 30 percent. Additionally, 28 percent said they changed default settings on devices. On the other hand, 30 percent said they had not done anything to protect their digital identity.
Steps taken by global internet users to protect their personal information online as of January 2023
Characteristic
Share of respondents
Taken any steps to protect identity
70%
Used online parental controls on children's accounts or devices (parents of minors only)
36%
Enabled multi-factor authentication
30%
Changed default privacy settings on devices
28%
Used an identity theft protection service
27%
Disabled third-party coockies in a browser
25%
Used a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt information sent to and from my devices
18%
Deleted a social media account (vary by country)
17%
Used an ecrypted e-mail service or messaging app
17%
Used anonymous payment methods
16%
Asked a company/reviewed to see what personal information they have about me in their customer records
The source surveyed 7,021 adults in Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom between November and December 2022 and 5,004 adults in the US were surveyed in January 2023.
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Gen Digital. (February 28, 2023). Steps taken by global internet users to protect their personal information online as of January 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/617422/online-privacy-measures-worldwide/
Gen Digital. "Steps taken by global internet users to protect their personal information online as of January 2023." Chart. February 28, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/617422/online-privacy-measures-worldwide/
Gen Digital. (2023). Steps taken by global internet users to protect their personal information online as of January 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/617422/online-privacy-measures-worldwide/
Gen Digital. "Steps Taken by Global Internet Users to Protect Their Personal Information Online as of January 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 28 Feb 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/617422/online-privacy-measures-worldwide/
Gen Digital, Steps taken by global internet users to protect their personal information online as of January 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/617422/online-privacy-measures-worldwide/ (last visited December 23, 2024)
Steps taken by global internet users to protect their personal information online as of January 2023 [Graph], Gen Digital, February 28, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/617422/online-privacy-measures-worldwide/
