According to cybersecurity company Kaspersky’s latest report, it has been found that four-in-ten (38%) of consumers would give up their social media accounts in order to guarantee their data remains private for the rest of their life.
This is because fears surrounding protecting digital privacy have made them more anxious about the use and distribution of their personal information on the internet.
The report titled “The true value of digital privacy: are consumers selling themselves short?” outlines how and why consumers’ personal information is becoming incredibly valuable to them.
There’s no doubt that social media services like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter have become a significant part of our lives, and based on the report, 82% of people now use them.
In exchange for some data about their users, social media platforms provide people with opportunities to express themselves, communicating with their friends and families as well as discover news, ideas and trends without even leaving their home.
Despite these benefits, some would still pick to be out of social media if it helped to restore their digital privacy forever.
The one-in-ten (12%) who give away their personal information to register for fun quizzes, such as what celebrity they look like or what their favorite meal is, would not be able to do so anymore. It may be even more problematic, though, for the 58% who would no longer be able to use their social login details to quickly and conveniently authorize themselves on different websites or services.
What is more interesting is that even though the number of mobile phone users is rising 2% year-on –year, the report revealed that one-in-five (19%) would be ready to wave goodbye to their handset altogether to ensure their data remains private for the rest of their life.
Unfortunately, even sacrificing your entire social media presence wouldn’t be sufficient to protect digital privacy. It’s a process, not a one-time deal that can be bargained for.
However, there are five recommendations by Kaspersky to keep your digital privacy safe:
- Try to regularly check your media privacy settings and choose strong passwords for your media accounts
- Don’t open or store unfamiliar files, as they could be malicious
- Don’t be fooled by suspicious people promising valuables in exchange for your personal data and don’t share too many details about yourself
- Don’t use the same password for more than one website or service
- Start using reliable security solutions including utilities that minimize the risks of privacy violation such as Kaspersky Security Cloud, Kaspersky Secure Connectionand Kaspersky Password Manager
