Are Security Threats Driving People Away from the Net?

An interesting new research report issued by Consumer Reports WebWatch finds that many American Internet users are cutting back on the hours they spend online, shunning e-commerce and refusing to give out personal information as a result of the rising tide of Web-based crimes related to identity theft.

According to the WebWatch report, 80 percent of all American Web surfers are at least somewhat concerned about the threat of identity theft posed by engaging in online activities. As a result of those concerns, at least 30 percent of the 1,500 people interviewed for the survey said they have reduced the amount of time they access the Internet.

In addition to going online less frequently, 53 percent of the respondents said that fears of ID theft have stopped them from giving out personal information to Web sites and online marketers, while 25 percent said they no longer purchase items from e-commerce sites. Around 54 percent of the respondents who still buy items online say they now read Web sites' privacy policies before doing business with a company, and 29 percent said they have merely cut down on the their Web shopping.

New York-based WebWatch, a grant-funded project of the nonprofit Consumers Union, said that consumers have dramatically shifted their views of online activity over the last several years, becoming far more conservative about what constitutes safe online behavior. Compared to the group's 2002 study on the same topic, researchers said that people are placing far more importance on issues of security and privacy when choosing which sites they visit or do business with.

New York-based WebWatch, a grant-funded project of the nonprofit Consumers Union, said that consumers have dramatically shifted their views of online activity over the last few years, becoming far more conservative about what constitutes safe online behavior. Compared to the group's 2002 study on the same topic, researchers said that people are placing far more importance on issues of security and privacy when choosing which sites they visit or do business with.

How do the WebWatch findings compare with your views and use of the Internet?

In the next edition, more interesting findings on other aspects of the Internet from the Webwatch report.