As the internet has become increasingly integral to our daily lives, the nature and challenges related to our digital privacy have become ever more pertinent.
Websites and apps collect a suite of information to build a digital profile of the internet user. Social media data scraping, invasive mobile ads, and AI profiling without consent are some of the internet privacy issues impacting internet users in today’s digital world.
Internet security is important to safeguard our digital privacy, protect us from fraud, and from viruses that could destroy a piece of our technology. Digital privacy refers to an individual’s right and ability to decide how their personal information is collected, used, and shared in the digital world, so that they can navigate the digital landscape without fear of unauthorized collection, misuse, or distribution of their personal information.
In the 2025 survey, we asked internet users what measures they took to protect their digital security and privacy.
Note: The data presented in this release relates to individuals aged 16 years and over who used the internet in the three months prior to completing the survey.
When compared to 2023, when questions on internet security and privacy were last included in the survey, the survey data shows that people are more protective of access to their personal information online, including access to their geographical location, their digital profile or content on social networking sites or shared online storage, or to their personal data for advertising purposes. People were less vigilant however, in 2025, with reading policy statements before providing personal data and checking the security of websites requesting personal data.
In 2025, seven in ten internet users restricted access to their geographical location when online, compared with over three in five (61%) in 2023. Females (73%) were more likely than males (67%) to take this preventative measure. Half (50%) of people who had used the internet in the three months prior to completing the survey had limited access to their digital profile or content on social networking sites or shared online storage, up two percentage points on 2023 (48%).
More than two-thirds (67%) of internet users had restricted access to their personal data for advertising purposes, an increase of three percentage points on 2023 (64%). Males (69%) were more likely than females (65%) to take this preventative measure.
Analysis by sex and age group shows that of younger people aged 16 to 29 years, females (53%) were slightly more likely than males (47%) of similar age to limit access to their digital profile or content on social networking platforms or shared online storage. In the three months prior to completing the survey, one in six (16%) younger males aged 16 to 29 years had sought access to digital data that websites or search engines hold on them to update or delete it.
At an overall level, people were less vigilant when checking that they were using secure websites or apps. In 2025, 44% of internet users had taken this precaution compared with just over half (51%) in 2023. Although websites/apps that collect personal information require a privacy policy statement posted to their site, just one-third (33%) of people read them before providing personal information online (43% in 2023).
Less than six in ten (55%) people who participated in social networks self-managed their social profile and limited access to their profile or content on social networking sites or shared online storage.
While over seven in ten (71%) who had bought goods or services online (in the three months previous) had refused access to their digital footprint for advertising purposes, people were less cautious in checking that the website or app was secure. Of people who had purchased online, just 46% had taken this precaution.
Almost three-quarters (74%) of people who expressed opinions online on civic or political issues or took part in online consultations or voting, restricted access to their geographical location.
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