Cookies and Internet users, according to the OFS.In our all-digital world, Internet users are more and more often asked to provide data on the Internet, when it is not discreetly “borrowed” from them. In this reality, the notion of the private sphere is often undermined. A publication by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) takes stock…
titled “Internet uses and personal data», this « OFS News » identifies not only what Internet users say they have posted online, but also what they have done to manage this information or protect themselves.
Always more data
In general, the proportion of Internet users who indicated that they had put personal information online in the last 12 months has risen sharply. Between 2017 and 2021, this share increased by 10 points, rising from 75% to 85% of the population of Switzerland, indicates the FSO.
In 2021, it was mainly contact information (72%) and payment information (68%), up almost 20 points, a consequence of the generalization of online purchases. This is followed by name, date of birth (56%) and location information (50%), according to this text.
What measures?
Unsurprisingly, the measures taken by Internet users to control the spread of their personal data vary greatly according to their level of digital skills. The more developed they are, the higher respondents report taking protective measures.
Nine out of ten people with more than basic digital skills refuse access to geolocation and the use of their personal data for purposes. For those with only basic digital skills, these proportions drop significantly to reach 62% and 68% respectively.
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