ISLAMABAD: A new study has disclosed controversial views among users regarding protection of their online personal information.

For instance, 47pc of respondents consider covering the webcam of their digital devices maintains privacy.

At the same time, 42pc trust internet incognito modes to safeguard their online activities. These numbers reflect that it still can be a challenge to distinguish what is secure and private and what’s not.

In June 2024, Kaspersky commissioned Arlington Research to conduct an online survey of 10,000 respondents to explore the respondents’ attitude towards current digital superstitions, AI role in human life and topic of digital immortality.

The survey, ‘Excitement, superstition and great insecurity – how global consumers engage with the digital world’ shows users can be contradictory in their digital habits and attitudes towards digital privacy.

More than half of the respondents (52pc) play online mini-games and take tests for fun, sending their personal details to unreliable sources to access those games, and posting their results in social media, involving their friends in this careless data-sharing pyramid.

Significantly, almost half of all users are worried that voice assistants might be constantly listening and gathering personal information. In response, a third of respondents (33pc) resort to switching their devices to airplane mode during important private conversations.

At the same time, 42pc of users mistakenly believe activating incognito mode makes them entirely invisible online as it doesn’t guarantee absolute privacy. In this mode, the browser is not saving the history of visiting websites, cookies, download history and authorisation data which is not equal to complete anonymity. Additionally, a surprising 32pc are willing to click on unfamiliar links in messengers, potentially compromising their security.

The report suggests that “to ensure safety and protection, it’s essential to maintain a critical mindset, relying solely on verified sources and facts. This entails disregarding unproven techniques and myths. Furthermore, implementing a comprehensive security solution that offers robust protection against a diverse range of threats and risks can prove invaluable.”

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024