123people.com and meinungsraum.at conducted a survey regarding online privacy for Data Privacy Day on January 28th 2011. 90% of the respondents feel their personal information is at risk online.
4. 1.1 Study Parameters
client 123people
subject Internet Privacy
target group website visitors
Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy,
countries targeted
Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA
sampling method respondents were invited via Quick-Poll on 123people websites
realisation of
5778 online interviews
(net sample)
response rate 30,9%
field time 10th January to 26th January 2011
123people privacy survey 2011 Seite 4
5. 1.2 Response
123people
displayed advertising material:
missing
Bewertung des Angebotes von 123people
clicks on ad/answered Quick-Poll
18.679
Websitebesucher
started questionnaire:
Verlosung eines iPad
7.590
answered at least 75% of
the questionnaire =
displayed Interviews
5778
123people privacy survey 2011 Seite 5
7. 2.1 Personal information, Reputation & Privacy: Total
90% of respondents feel their personal information at risk
Do you feel that your personal information, reputation and privacy are at risk on the
Internet today?
Indications in %, n=5.778 interviews, 4 point scale
5%
6%
19%
Mean
90%
1,5
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
71%
internet useage
(almost) daily 90%
less than (almost ) daily 88%
Yes More than likely Less than likely No
female 92%
gender
male 86%
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8. 2.1 Personal Information, Reputation & Privacy: Countries
US citizens are concerned the most about internet security, Italians the least
Do you feel that your personal information, reputation and privacy are at risk on the
Internet today?
Indications in %, n=5.778 interviews, 4 point scale from 1=“Yes” to 4=“No”, mean values
4,0
3,5
3,0
2,5
2,0
1,89
1,66 1,67
1,63
1,54 1,56
1,5 1,49
1,45
1,41
1,35 1,33
1,30
1,20
1,0
Total GER FR GB IT CA NL AT PL SE CH ES US
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9. 2.2 Social Network Settings: Total
79% of respondents set social network profiles to “private” if possible
If given the option, do you set your profile on social networking sites to "private”?
Indications in %, n=5.746 interviews
11%
11%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
79%
internet usage
(almost) daily 81%
less than (almost ) daily 74%
Yes Sometimes No
female 81%
gender
male 76%
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10. 2.2 Social Network Settings: Countries
86% of French vs. 63% of Dutch respondents use “private” settings
when using social networks
If given the option, do you set your profile on social networking sites to "private”?
Indications in %, n=5.746 interviews, percentage of people affirming this question is displayed per country,
countries sorted in descending order
100%
90% 86%
83% 83% 83%
81%
79% 79%
80% 76% 76%
72% 71%
70%
65% 63%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
TOTAL FR GB US ES AT CH GER CA PL SE IT NL
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11. 2.3 Regrets posting Online: Total
66% of respondents regret at least sometimes posting personal info online
Have you ever regretted posting personal information online?
Indications in %, n=5.761 interviews
18%
31%
Mean
16%
2,2 66%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
internet usage
35% (almost) daily 65%
less than (almost ) daily 67%
Often Sometimes Rarely Never
female 69%
gender
male 62%
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12. 2.3 Regrets posting Online: Countries
Spanish citizens regret posting personal information the most, whereas Italian
citizens regret it the least
Have you ever regretted posting personal information online?
Indications in %, n=5.761 interviews, 4 point scale from 1=“Often” to 4=“Never”, mean values
4,0
3,5
3,0
2,5
2,45 2,43 2,39 2,39
2,29 2,30 2,31
2,27
2,21 2,22
2,15
2,06
2,0
1,92
1,5
1,0
TOTAL GER FR GB IT CA NL AT PL SE CH ES US
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13. 2.4 Job and Social Networks: Total
11% of respondents lost their job/have been denied a job because of
postings in social networks
Have you ever been denied or lost a job because of content and/or images you have
posted on a social networking site, in your profile or on a blog?
Indications in %, n=5.742 interviews
11%
0% 25% 50%
internet usage
(almost) daily 9%
89%
less than (almost ) daily 15%
female 10%
Yes No gender
male 12%
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14. 2.4 Job and Social Networks: Countries
19% of French vs. 7% of Italien, German and Swedish respondents lost a
job or have been denied a job because of content posted on social networks
Have you ever been denied or lost a job because of content and/or images you have
posted on a social networking site, in your profile or on a blog?
Indications in %, n=5.742 interviews, percentage of people affirming this question is displayed per country,
countries sorted in descending order
50%
40%
30%
20% 19%
14%
11% 11%
10% 10%
10% 9% 9% 8% 8%
7% 7% 7%
0%
TOTAL FR PL CH ES NL GB US CA AT IT GER SE
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15. 2.5 Managing & Guarding Online Privacy: Total
56% of respondents think the users themselves are responsible for online
privacy, 46% think that this responsibility lies on behalf of data storing
companies
Who do you think should be responsible for managing and guarding online privacy?
Indications in %, n=5.797 interviews, multiple answers are permitted
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Users themselves 56%
Private companies that store the data (social
46%
networking sites, databases, blog platforms, etc.)
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
internet usage
Government - this issue should be regulated by (almost) daily 58%
30%
law
less than (almost ) daily 51%
Search Engines that find data 26%
female 55%
gender
No one, the Internet is open to the world 6%
male 57%
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16. 2.5 Managing & Guarding Online Privacy: Countries – users vs.
private companies
In Spain & Italy, to a minimum extent also in Germany, a majority of
respondents hold private companies responsible for guarding online privacy. In
all other countries the majority thinks the users themselves are responsible.
Who do you think should be responsible for managing and guarding online privacy?
Indications in %, n=5.797 interviews, multiple answers are permitted, countries sorted in descending order
100%
90%
80%
70%
63% 62% 62% 61% 60%
60% 56% 57% 56% 56% 56% Users themselves
54%55% 53%
51%
49%
50% 46% 46%
44%
42% 41% 41% 41% 41% Private companies that store
40% the data (social networking
35% 35% sites, databases, blog
29% platforms, etc.)
30%
20%
10%
0%
TOTAL FR GB US NL PL AT CA CH SE GER IT ES
123people privacy survey 2011 Seite 16
18. 3.1 structural data
Country
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
France 20%
US 20%
Germany 18%
Italy 8%
UK 7%
Spain 6%
Country Number of Interviews
France 1.103
Netherlands 5%
United States 1.091
Germany 1.018
Poland 5%
Great Britain 407
Spain 309
Austria 5%
Netherlands 287
Switzerland
Poland 272
3%
Austria 256
Canada 3% Switzerland 164
Canada 158
Sweden 1% Italy 123
Sweden 35
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19. 3.1 structural data
Gender Mobile Internet Usage Internet Usage
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
daily/almost daily 34%
daily/almost daily 82%
48% 52% several times a week 11%
several times a week 12%
once a week 4% once a week 2%
1 to 3 times a month 4% 1 to 3 times a month 1%
female male less often 48% less often 3%
Age Present Occupation
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
14 - 24 years Retired 14%
1%
Other office worker/public employee 14%
25 - 34 years 15% Self-employed/small business operator 11%
Professional 10%
35 - 44 years 17% In education, school pupil/student 10%
45 - 54 years 19% Currently unemployed 7%
Manager, civil servant/official 7%
55 - 64 years 22% Skilled worker, manual worker 6%
Housewife/house husband 4%
65 - 74 years 17% Proprietor/head of a large business 3%
75 years and older 10% Farmer 1%
Currently on maternity leave/sick leave 1%
None of these 13%
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20. Summary
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21. 4. Summary
Personal Information, Reputation & Privacy
Privacy issues seem to be very important for internet users. 90% of the respondents worry
about internet security issues and think that their personal information, reputation and privacy are
at risk on the internet today. These worries can be more frequently observed within female (92%)
than male (86%) respondents. Persons that use the internet less than daily are not as concerned
about these issues (88%), as persons using internet on a daily basis (90%).
When we take a look at the countries we see that US citizens are concerned the most about their
personal information, reputations and privacy on the internet.
Social Network Settings
If given the possibility, 79% of the respondents would set their profile information on
social networking sites to “private”. Parallel to their concerns about privacy women (81%) also
are more likely to set their social network profile information to “private” than men (76%) are. The
same holds for daily users, where 81% would set their social network profile information to
“private”
Respondents from France (86%), UK (83%), US (83%), Spain (83%), and Austria (81%) are all
more likely to set profile information to “private” than the average. On the other side respondents
from Germany (76%), Canada (76%), Poland (72%), Sweden (71%), Italy (65%) and the
Netherlands (63%) can be found below the cross country average. Switzerland lies exactly on the
average of 79%.
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22. 4. Summary
Job and Social Networks
11% of the people taking part in this survey have already been denied or lost a job because
of content and/or images they have posted on social networking sites. Even 15% have
such experiences when we look at persons using the internet less than daily.
This phenomenon seems to be more wide spread in France and Poland, where 19% (France)
respectively 14% (Poland) of our respondents indicate that they have been denied or lost a job
because of their postings on social networking sites. Whereas in Italy, Germany and Sweden only
7% already made such an experience.
Managing & Guarding Online Privacy
When asked for the responsibility in managing and guarding online privacy 56% of our
respondents state that the users themselves are responsible for that. 58% of daily users
(vs. 51% of non daily users) think that they themselves are responsible for these issues. On the
other hand 46% think that private companies storing the data (social networking sites,
databases, blog platforms, etc.) should be held responsible for guarding online privacy.
In Spain & Italy, to a minimum extent also in Germany, a majority of respondents hold private
companies responsible for guarding online privacy. In all other countries the majority thinks the
users themselves are responsible.
123people privacy survey 2011 Seite 22