Web insecurity prompts online chill in U.S.

Nearly one in two Internet users say privacy and security concerns have now stopped them from doing basic things online, such as posting to social networks, expressing opinions in forums or even buying things from websites, according to a new government survey released Friday.

This chilling effect, pulled out of a survey of 41,000 U.S. households who use the Internet, show the insecurity of the web is beginning to have consequences that stretch beyond the direct fallout of an individual losing personal data in breach. The research suggests some consumers are reaching a tipping point where they feel they can no longer trust using the Internet for everyday activities.

“Every day, billions of people around the world use the Internet to share ideas, conduct financial transactions and keep in touch with family, friends and colleagues,” wrote Rafi Goldberg, a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, in a blog post introducing the data. “But for the Internet to grow and thrive, users must continue to trust that their personal information will be secure and their privacy protected.”

The survey showed that nearly 20 per cent of the survey’s respondents had personally experienced some form of identity theft, an online security breach or another similar problem over the year before the survey was taken last July. Overall, 45 per cent said their concerns about online privacy and security stopped them from using the web in very practical ways.

When asked to list their biggest concerns, nearly two out of three respondents cited identity theft, while nearly half brought up credit card or banking fraud. About one in five listed data collection by the government.

The NTIA survey also showed that the more connected devices people owned, the more they experienced a breach of data. For those with only one laptop or computer or smartphone, 9 per cent reported a security incident. That number more than tripled for those with at least five devices.

Other surveys have shown that privacy concerns have become more common.

A Pew Research study last year found that people overwhelmingly want to control their digital data, but had little confidence that information could stay protected.