In 2025, 70% of internet users restricted access to their geographical location when online, compared with 61% in 2023. Half (50%) had limited access to their digital profile/content on social networking sites or shared online storage (48% in 2023).
More than two-thirds (67%) of internet users had limited restricted access to their personal data for advertising purposes in 2025, which was up from 2023 (64%). Males (69%) were more likely than females (65%) to take this preventative measure.
Analysis by sex and age group showed that amongst younger people aged 16 to 29 years, females (53%) were slightly more likely than males (47%) to limit access to their digital profile or content on social networking platforms or shared online storage in 2025.
While 71% of people who bought goods or services online (in the three months previous) had refused access to their digital footprint for advertising purposes, only 46% checked that the website or app was secure when purchasing online.
In 2025, 80% of people had doubts about the accuracy of information they saw or read online such as on online news sites or social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, etc.) and of these, 76% checked if it was untrue.
Similar numbers (63%) of males and females had seen content online that they considered to be hostile or degrading towards groups of people or individuals in 2025. The main reason cited for this perceived hostile or degrading content was political or social views (78%), followed closely by racial or ethnic origin (77%).
This release is the third of four releases presenting the results of the annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey, which was carried out in the second quarter of 2025. The first release, Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2025, was published on 07 November 2025 and covered household internet access, and individuals’ frequency of internet usage. The second publication Household Digital Consumer Behaviour 2025 was published on 05 December 2025 and provided results on individuals’ use of e-commerce including the sharing economy, internet activities, online learning, and ICT skills. The fourth release in the series, Digital Interactions with Public Services 2025, will focus on individuals use of online services provided by public services and authorities via website or app, and their use of electronic identification eID in accessing services online.
Please 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.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (19 December 2025) published Household Internet Security 2025, which is the third of a series of releases presenting the results of the annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey (See Editor’s Note below for more details).
The 2025 ICT Household Survey was carried out in the second quarter of 2025. The data in this release relates to the experience of people who access the internet. This release focuses on the internet usage of people aged 16 years and over who used the internet within the previous three months of the survey and focusses on internet security and privacy and protection of personal data.
Commenting on the results, Maureen Delamere, Statistician in the Social Analysis Division, said: " The need to safeguard the privacy and security of personal information online has significantly evolved in this digital age.
As a result of the increased digital footprint left by individuals, there are a lot of challenges in maintaining digital privacy. Firstly, the widespread and often hidden data collection methods used online make it difficult for individuals to understand what data is collected and how it is used. Secondly, attempting to control the distribution of personal data across the vast expanse of the internet is a daunting task. Lastly, many individuals lack the necessary knowledge and tools to adequately manage their digital privacy.
As noted in the first release, Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2025, at an overall level, some 95% of people aged 16 years and older used the internet within the previous three months (from when they took part in the survey).
Internet Security and Integrity
In 2025, 70% of internet users restricted access to their geographical location when using online platforms, up from 61% in 2023, when questions on internet security and privacy were last included in the survey. When online, more people refused to allow the use of their personal data for advertising purposes with 67% of internet users doing so in 2025 compared with 64% in 2023. Internet users were also more vigilant in 2025 in limiting access to their social media profile and activity or shared online storage, with 50% limiting access to their digital profile or content, up from 48% in 2023. Of younger people aged 16 to 29 years, females (53%) were more likely than males of similar age (47%) to limit access to their digital profile or content on social networking platforms or shared online storage. Just more than half (55%) of people who used social networks self-managed their social profile and limited access to their online profile and content in 2025.
Websites that collect personal information require a privacy policy statement, but only 33% of internet users read them before providing personal information online.
Use of Cookies and Internet Tracking
Cookies are part and parcel of our everyday internet experience that collect personal information about internet users and track their online activity. More than four in ten (46%) changed the settings in their internet browser to prevent or limit cookies in 2025, while just 29% of internet users used software to limit the tracking of their movements online.
Further analysis of the data shows that while 71% of people who bought goods or services online (in the three months previous) refused access to their digital footprint for advertising purposes, only 46% took the precaution to check that the website or app was secure.
Integrity of Digital Content
In 2025, 80% of internet users saw information or content (includes videos, images, etc.) on online news sites or social media (such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or X, etc.) that they considered doubtful or untrue, of which 76% checked the truthfulness of the content. The main way people checked the truthfulness of online content was to verify the validity of the sources and seek alternative sources of information from trustworthy sources such as other news sites, with 93% of such people choosing this method of checking the content integrity.
Hostile or Degrading Online Content
Similar numbers (63%) of males and females encountered content online in the previous three months (including messages, comments, photos, memes, videos, etc.) that they considered to be hostile or degrading towards groups of people or individuals, such as in blogs, vlogs, on social media or news sites including in comment sections of such online posts. The main perceived reason was because of political or social views (78%) followed closely by racial or ethnic origin (77%). Some 56% felt that they were because of one’s sexual/gender identity.”