Household Internet Security 2023

Most online platforms use cookies. Cookies contain personal data as an IP address, a username, a unique identifier, or an email address. Advertising IDs, user IDs and other tracking IDs may also be contained in cookies.

Cookies do serve a number of important functions, including to remember a user and their previous interactions with a website, and to keep track of their preferences. Cookies can be used to trace users’ movements online (including to make a profile of each user and service them tailored ads).

They can be used, for example, to keep track of items in an online shopping cart or to keep track of information when you input details into an online application form.

In the 2023 survey, respondents were asked if they had changed the settings in their internet browser to prevent or limit cookies on any of their devices, and did they use software that limits the ability to track their online activities. Internet users can, for example, use web browser add-ons/extensions and tools, which can be added to your browser, to limit tracking of your activity online.

Users can use the built-in controls in their web browser to limit the cookies they receive, for example to block the third-party/advertiser cookies.

Almost all the main web browsers feature privacy settings that allow you to restrict or block cookies from being stored on your device, to protect your digital footprint. They usually offer cookie filtering options on what cookies you want to block.

Almost 3 in 10 use anti-tracking software to limit cookies tracking them online

Key findings of internet users:

• Just short of four in ten (39%) changed the settings on their browser to prevent or limit cookies. See Table 3.1.
• Just short of three in ten (28%) limited the tracking of their movements online by using anti-tracking software that limits the ability of cookies to track their activities online. See Table 3.2.
• Almost two thirds (64%) refused use of their personal data for advertising purposes. Younger persons aged 25 to 34 years were more likely to take this precaution when going online with three quarters (75%) of them doing so compared with half (50%) of internet users aged 65 to 74 years.
• At an overall level, almost two thirds (64%) refused allowing the use of personal data for advertising purposes. 
• Of those who had bought or ordered good and/or services online, just 56% had checked that the website where they provided personal data was secure. See Figure 3.1 and Table 3.3.