Conducted by Ipsos and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Internet Society, a global survey reveals that Internet users are increasingly concerned about their online privacy. Notably, 49% of users polled say lack of trust is their main reason for not shopping online.
The survey comes as data breaches and the reported hacking of elections in several European countries continues to capture international headlines. Results suggest that the impact on trust is hindering further development of the digital economy. Among those worried about their privacy, the top sources of concern were cybercriminals (82%), Internet companies (74%), and governments (65%).
Lack of trust is most likely to keep people off e-commerce platforms in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, suggesting that the potential gains of e-commerce are not spread evenly around the globe. The survey also revealed great differences in e-commerce behavior when it came to how users are purchasing goods online. For example, in China, India and Indonesia, more than 86 percent of respondents expect to make mobile payments on their smartphone in the next year, compared with less than 30 percent in France, Germany and Japan.
Even in the digital world, location still matters. Fifty-five percent of global respondents indicated that they prefer purchasing online goods and services made in their own country. For more information, visit http://www.cigionline.org/internet-survey