Over a third of people globally would like to delete themselves from the internet, study shows

According to a joint study by cybersecurity company NordVPN and personal data removal company Incogni, millions of people globally would like to be removed from the Internet if they could. Financial information, unflattering pictures or videos, and embarrassing moments rank as the top items people would want to have deleted from the internet.

RELATED: Digital identity management and privacy concerns

Half of people globally feel used by companies collecting and selling their data, research shows

It’s estimated that 67.5% of the global population use the internet

Compared to 2022, even more people would like to delete themselves from the internet this year, according to joint research carried out this year by cybersecurity company NordVPN and personal data removal company Incogni. Global percentage increased from 30% to 35%, with the US and Canada topping the list.

Among the main reasons for being deleted, half of people globally feel used by companies collecting, selling, or simply using their data to benefit third parties. Additionally, 45% of people also think that someone will eventually hack their devices.

What’s more, 1 in 4 people feel there is no reason for their name to be on the internet, a third express a lack of trust in the internet, and a quarter fear manipulation by third parties.

“The shift in people’s attitude and their increasing need to delete their presence from the internet highlights a trend: People are no longer passively accepting the idea that their data should live on the internet forever. There is a growing demand for control, empowerment, and the right to be forgotten,” says Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN.

ADVERTISEMENT

People typically seek to delete their financial information

Data shows that more than half of the global population (58%) would most want to delete their financial information from the online world. Apart from that, almost a third (30%) would seek to remove their unflattering photos or videos, followed by embarrassing moments uploaded on social media (27%). However, 44% of people revealed that they don’t know how.

Additionally, nearly half of people around the world (41%) would not like someone else to find out about their medical conditions, while 35% prefer to keep their romantic and sexual lives private. Surprisingly, almost half of people stated they wouldn’t be interested in finding details online about someone they know.

“Over the years we noticed that anonymity is no longer a luxury but a necessity. People want to browse the internet without leaving a trace, free from tracking and profiling. Looking ahead, the internet will evolve to resolve these privacy concerns. The next generation of users will push both technology providers and policymakers to rethink how personal data is handled online,” adds Briedis.

ADVERTISEMENT

While such an option doesn’t exist yet, a third of global citizens would be willing to pay up to 100 EUR to use the internet anonymously at all times. Shockingly, 7% would even pay up to 500 EUR.

How can you protect your privacy online?

While we can delete only part of our personal information from the digital depths, adopting better online privacy habits can help people feel safer. Marijus Briedis from NordVPN shares a few tips:

• Share less. Be mindful of what you share online. Adjust your social media privacy settings so that only friends and family can see your posts.
• Use a VPN. Virtual private networks encrypt your online traffic and route it via a remote server, making it more secure and private.
• Protect your accounts. Use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security.
• Opt out of data brokers with services like Incogni. Even though only 18% of people know what a data broker is, such companies collect your data, use it to build your advertising profile, and then sell it all to anyone willing to pay.

“While many people may understand the role of data brokers in data handling, it’s crucial to raise awareness about how the personal data we share to access various services can end up in the hands of these brokers — and how this data might be used by different entities, including criminals,” says Darius Belejevas, head of Incogni.

Methodology: This research was commissioned by NordVPN and carried out by Cint between June 28 and July 10, 2024. A total of 6,800 respondents aged 18 years old and older from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy were surveyed. Researchers placed quotas on respondents’ gender, age, and place of residence to achieve a nationally representative sample of internet users.