Reckless data sharing online for short-term gains is leaving consumers exposed to more than they bargained for, according to new research from Kaspersky Lab. Despite outrage and worry around high profile data sharing scandals, including when Facebook gave Netflix and Spotify the ability to delete users’ private messages, over half of Internet users in South Africa (54%) feel that complete privacy in the modern digital world is impossible.
Many are instead choosing to sell-out when it comes to securing the integrity of their data and persona online – but with potentially big costs and consequences.
Despite the very real consequences associated with personal data being misused or falling into the wrong hands, 18% of people in South Africa would happily sacrifice their privacy and share data if they got something for free. More than a third (41%) would even accept money in exchange for giving a complete stranger full access to their private data. With Internet users more likely to share their private data if there is something in it for them, taking this short-term approach can lead to long-term damage.
Recent cases such as tweets posted by James Gunn, or Kevin Hart, show how the data you willingly share online could come back to bite you in ways you could never imagine – damaging reputations and careers. For the “person on the street”, it is also becoming more common for employers and potential employers to scour social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, to check that staff and candidates are reputable and workers not bringing the company into disrepute. Employees themselves also need to be wary of revealing too much about themselves and their jobs on social media. Indeed, figures from Career Builder suggest that 57% of employers have found content on social media that caused them not to hire a candidate, and a third (34%) have reprimanded or fired an existing employee due to online content.
Whether we openly share it or not, if our information falls into the wrong hands online, it can have a huge impact in the real world. Kaspersky Lab’s research found that 40% of South Africans have had their private data accessed by someone without their consent. The consequences of this were wide and varied with more than a third (42%) feeling stressed as a result. Twenty one percent of South Africans have experienced monetary loss, while 26% were disturbed by spam and adverts.
These consequences come despite many of us taking steps to keep information secret or to stop others accessing personal and confidential data. With cybercriminals coming out as the people we are most afraid of seeing or accessing our private data – this was followed by the Internet in general and the government in South Africa – 82% of people in South Africa password protect their devices to keep information private. Over half (56%) regularly check and change privacy settings on the devices, services and apps they use; 23% cover their webcams to keep data private; 26% encrypt their data.
Marina Titova, head of Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky Lab, says: “You don’t have to look far to see how data can be misused or used against consumers in a variety of scenarios, for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s the Marriott data breach in 2018 which affected 500-million customers and saw many become a victim of identity fraud as a result, or when retailer Forever 21 cashier terminals exposed customer credit card information. Or the recent case of a musician whose former girlfriend used his email account to turn down a music scholarship in a bid to prevent him from moving away from Montreal. Good digital hygiene and awareness about the importance of online privacy and how to safeguard yourself could stop you and your data from becoming compromised.”