Australia Highlights Public Attitudes Regarding Personal Information Online
The Australian Communications and Media Authority today released a report that explores changing community attitudes and practices in dealing with their personal information online.
Attitudes Towards Use of Personal Information Online was commissioned principally to help inform the ACMA’s development of education materials to assist people to protect their personal information on the internet, with a focus on adults. Recognising that the research may be of broader interest, the ACMA is making the report available on its website.
‘Encouragingly, the report has found that awareness of the potential risks of providing personal information online was high among adults, and they want to protect themselves,’ said Chris Cheah, Acting Chair of the ACMA. ‘Most users identified identity theft as the most severe risk associated with disclosing personal information online. Other risks of concern include unwanted communications such as spam, financial loss, fraud, damage to reputation and invasion of privacy.’
However, the report also identified that many of these users often did not know specifically what to do to protect themselves, found technological change difficult to keep up with, and often do not know who to ask for assistance or advice.
‘The ACMA was pleasantly surprised by the report’s findings that people wanted to take responsibility for protecting themselves,’ Mr Cheah said.
‘What we now need to do is find ways of giving people the information they need to do this. The ACMA will be using the report to develop further materials to help users, and ISPs and others involved in educating the public.’
The ACMA already provides a range of resources on its website and has a page dedicated to online risk management.
The resources provide practical information on how to: protect your computer; prevent people from illegally using your computer or internet address without your permission; protect your children online; protect your server from malicious software such as viruses or spyware; and how to report spam.
Background:
In March 2009, the ACMA commissioned qualitative research to better understand attitudes towards disclosure of personal information when using the internet and other forms of digital media, awareness of and perceived severity of risks, and risk mitigation strategies.
It aims to assist the ACMA in developing measures to raise awareness of risks related to use of personal information collected or disclosed through use of digital media and communications devices and to promote the use of simple self-protective measures.
The study was conducted by TNS Social Research. It included eight focus groups comprised of Australians aged over eighteen years who use the internet.
Key findings
- There was an acceptance among research participants that using information and communication technologies means sharing personal information. The type of, and level to which, personal information is disclosed is seen to be within an individual’s control and a matter of personal choice.
- Users made informed decisions about the risks of disclosing personal information based on the context of their interactions, with two types of situations:
- transaction provision – disclosure of information necessary to obtain a good or service, e.g. internet banking, online shopping, eBay; and
- networking or social provision – where information disclosure is made within an online community to share or exchange opinions, beliefs and personal details, e.g. Facebook.
- Any disclosure of personal information was perceived to carry an inherent risk of that information being used in a way that was unintended and results in an adverse outcome.
- Participants on the whole were generally well informed about both risks to their online privacy and strategies to protect their personal information. However, there was a widespread perception that breaches are inevitable, resulting in an accepting attitude towards their ability to fully protect their personal information online.
- Risks identified included identity theft, threat to personal safety, invasion of privacy, unwanted communications such as spam, financial loss, fraud and damage to reputation. Severity of these risks was assessed taking into account perceived likelihood of the information being misused and the severity of consequences.
- There were two broad approaches to risk mitigation:
- active strategies were characterised by individuals making deliberate decisions / active choices in their online behaviour that assist them to protect the security of personal information, such as password management; and
- passive strategies that include reliance on software platforms and security systems for providing protection.
- Information for developing appropriate/possible risk minimisation strategies largely comes from family and friends. Work and formal education (through children) are indirect providers of information/skills in relation to risks and risk minimisation strategies. This indicates that there is a possible skill/ information gap for those who are not in the workplace or don’t have children in schools to bring them information and assist with necessary skills.
- Individuals regard themselves as having primary responsibility for protecting their personal information online.
- Respondents considered the role of internet service providers is to provide connectivity and solutions to protect against spam and viruses, and they can have an educational role for novice users. The report also found that users felt they had the right to expect their ISP not to use their personal details or surfing behaviour for commercial applications.
- In terms of online entities, respondents saw a distinction depending on nature of information users are providing. In the case of information provided in the course of transactions, a service provider such as a bank was expected to provide good security, whereas on social networking sites where the service provider is merely hosting the content, security breaches are accepted.
- Respondents’ views on the role of government pointed to a distinction between government’s regulatory role and a role in educating Australians about risks and how to mitigate them.
- According to the report, the challenge for government is to use the full range of communication channels, such as workplaces and schools, to educate adult Australians. In this way, government can augment informal learning and help Australians to better manage the risks they face in the digital environment.
The ACMA’s e-security initiatives
The ACMA is responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, the internet, radiocommunications and telecommunications. The role of the ACMA includes provision of information and advice to the community about communications matters and administration of a range of consumer protection measures.
Activities related to e-security include:
- Provision of information about internet security and safety, including tips for protecting your computer and personal information and advice for online social networking.
- Protecting Australians from spam, including providing practical information on how to reduce spam, enforcing the Spam Act and providing the ACMA’s SpamMATTERS reporting tool which is used to track spammers and take action against them.
- Gathering evidence and assisting in protecting Australians from computer fraud and identity theft.
- Delivery of the ACMA’s Cybersmart program, including the Cybersmart website which provides advice for young kids, kids and teens and parents to safely enjoy the online world.
For more information about the ACMA’s e-security activities visit www.acma.gov.au
Topics: ACMA, Australia, Australian Media and Communications Authority, financial loss, fraud, Governance, identity theft, internet, online, online identity, personal information, privacy, responsibility, security, technology
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