By MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG – INTERNET users are increasingly concerned about their online privacy with almost half say lack of trust is their main reason for not shopping online.
This is according to a new global survey 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.
Findings were released on Monday at the the UNCTAD E-Commerce Week in Geneva.
It shows that among those worried about their privacy, the top sources of concern were cybercriminals (82 percent), internet companies (74 percent) and governments (65 percent).
Lack of trust is most likely to keep people off e-commerce platforms in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, suggesting the potential gains of e-commerce are not spread evenly around the globe.
Sally Wentworth, Vice President of Global Policy for the Internet Society, said nearly 50 percent of internet users surveyed do not trust the internet and this lack of trust was affecting the way they use it.
“The findings of this year’s CIGI-Ipsos survey underscore the importance of taking action now to build stronger online trust by addressing users’ concerns and using technologies such as encryption to secure communications.”
The survey of 24 225 Internet users was conducted by global research company Ipsos, on behalf of the CIGI between December 2016 and March 2017.
The survey was conducted in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.
– Guardian