Concerns over data security rising

16 May 2008 12:18pm

More than two thirds of people are concerned about the amount of personal information held about them by companies, according to new Ofcom research.

Concerns about identity fraud and security surrounding personal details have also risen - by 15% in two years - the regulator said.

However more people who use the internet are now happy to give account details and other personal information online than in 2005, suggesting they are choosing websites more carefully, the report found.

Just 59% of people are confident about telling whether a website is truthful or reliable or not.

While the majority of people make some form of judgment about a website before entering personal details, 11% of people do not, and 16 to 24-year-olds are the most relaxed.

The report is part of wider research into media literacy in the UK with the aim of helping and protecting consumers who use digital technology.

Households with children aged eight to 11 are more likely to restrict television viewing with pin numbers or passwords than in 2005.

But fewer households are using software or other controls to regulate their children's internet access, with four in five parents who have not done so saying they trust their child to be responsible.

The study also found one in three adults has a concern about mobile phones, including risks to society like "happy slapping", affordability and health issues.

Around two-thirds of older children agreed that violence in computer games affected people's general behaviour, while 68% of adults believed violent games could affect behaviour.

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