Would you bid adieu to social media for data privacy?

With too many data leak incidents being reported lately, internet users across the globe are getting iffy over privacy concern.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, have become a significant part of our lives and according to Kaspersky's report, 82% of people now use them. In exchange for some data, these platforms provide people with opportunities to communicate and discover without even leaving their home.

However, despite these various benefits, four-in-ten (38%) consumers would give up their social media accounts to guarantee their data remains private for the rest of their life. Fears of protecting digital privacy have made consumers more anxious about the use and distribution of their personal information on the internet.

 

"Several years ago, people shared their private information with social media services in exchange for various benefits, without even thinking about the potential threats and their consequences. With a rising number of data leaks around the world, we are seeing a new trend amongst consumers. Many prefer not to have certain facts about themselves revealed in public and are paying more attention to the information they share with online services," said Marina Titova, Head of Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky.

But one-in-ten (12%) who give away their personal information to register for fun quizzes, such as what celebrity they look like or what their favorite meal is, would not be able to do so anymore.

Social media today is at a stage where the quality of the user experiences heavily relies on a large amount of personal information. Whether that be financial, location, shopping patterns, eating preferences or relationship status. It is, therefore, perhaps no wonder that a nostalgic feeling of seemingly forever-lost data privacy can come to the fore.

"The majorities still don't know how to protect their digital privacy and would give up social media to guarantee their information remains secure. Keeping personal information safe by regularly updating social media account passwords and using security solutions will give consumers more confidence in the security of their data online," she added.

Unfortunately, even sacrificing your entire social media presence wouldn't be sufficient to protect digital privacy.

But users need to keep this in mind that protecting the information of internet is a process, not a one-time deal.