One in three people would delete themselves from the Internet

One in three people (33%) would delete themselves from the Internet if they could. In addition, 45% believe there is no reason for their name to be on the Internet, and 42% said they feel used because companies collect their data and use it to their advantage.

These were some of the findings of a new study commissioned by cyber security company NordVPN.

The survey was conducted by an external company Cint between 16 and 24 May this year, and targeted 10 800 residents of France, the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Japan, and South Korea, aged 18 and over.

When asked about the reason, nearly half (45%) said there is no reason for their name to be on the Internet, while 42% said they feel used because companies collect their data and use it to their advantage. Another 34% said they feel that someone will eventually hack their devices, and 31% don’t trust the Internet.

Half of the respondents said that they would most like their personal financial information to be deleted from the Internet.

Other information people would prefer to be deleted from the internet includes unflattering photos or videos (33%), embarrassing moments (28%), old dating or social media profiles (25%) and previous employment history (15%).

Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN, said although removing oneself from the Internet sounds like a good idea for those who are worried about having their personal information exposed to the wrong people, we need to ask ourselves if wiping the slate completely clean is even possible in today’s digital age.

“Our study also found that some would be in favour of a more practical approach because 38% would be in favour of paying to use the Internet anonymously at all times.”

For individuals who want to be anonymous when online and are willing to pay for it, the study reveals that 27% of people would cough up to 100 USD, 7% would pay between 101 and 500 USD, and 3% would fork out between 501 and 1 000 USD to be anonymous. Only 2% of respondents said they would pay an even greater sum.

The survey also revealed that keeping their personal information safe on the Internet is the key to happiness online.

As many as 71% of people would be most afraid of having their financial data accessed by a hacker (or malicious third party), while 43% said texts and e-mails, 35% said “medical information,” 33% said “social media accounts,” and 24% said “sex life.”

In ending, Markuson says although we can hope to remove some information about ourselves online, only better online habits can help people feel safer when they're on the Net.

“Using more sophisticated passwords, trusted cyber security tools, such as a VPN, antivirus, and password manager, and practicing a general awareness of threats will help people protect their most valuable information online for years to come.”