UK internet users becoming more cautious according to study

A recent report produced by Ofcom has found that internet users in the UK are exhibiting more caution with regard to the information they are willing to share online.

The survey is carried out twice a year and asked 1,824 people about their internet habits. It found that people are more aware of internet security and are therefore less willing to have personal details entered on a site.

The study found that around 80 per cent of respondents with social networking profiles restricted their pages so that only friends and family could see it. In 2007, only around 48 per cent of those asked took similar precautions.

This change in behaviour has perhaps been brought about by increasing media coverage of security issues on social networking sites. Only this month, Facebook’s privacy policy was branded ‘unacceptable’ by data protection officials in the EU.

It seems the Scots are the least concerned about this. Around half of those questioned were happy to put their home address details into a site and about 40 per cent were happy to enter credit card details. Those in Scotland also spent longer hours online at home than people in other areas.