Industrial Automation Magazine India

81per cent of Indian Internet users wary of certain apps

Published on : Wednesday 10-02-2021

They are hesitant towards using certain apps due to privacy/data sharing concerns: OLX 2021 Safer Internet Day Study.

New Delhi, February 9, 2021: On the occasion of Safer Internet Day celebrated on 9th February 2021 globally, OLX studied the behaviour of 6000 Indian Internet users across cities to understand the state of awareness and cyber safety preparedness and thereby raising the need towards creating a safer and inclusive internet for everyone. The survey reveals that owing to the pandemic, internet usage across Indian households has spiked by 50% and has also fostered awareness about cyber frauds across 61% of Indian households. Interestingly, the focus on right to privacy in public discourse has prompted 81% of Indian Internet users to stop using or considering not using certain apps due to privacy or data-sharing concerns. When it comes to tackling misinformation, 45% of users responded that they now verify any news or information shared online – a welcome sign of increased awareness among internet users.

The third edition of the annual report titled 'OLX 2021 Safer Internet Day Study' is an initiative by OLX to foster awareness around making the internet a better place for everyone. Of the 6000 responses, 73% were millennials between the age groups of 18-37 while 23% were non-millennials above the age of 37. 53% of the respondents were from metro cities (Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata) while 47% of respondents were from non-metro cities across India.

"The pandemic has accelerated the penetration of internet-based services and has consequently had a profound impact on the level of comfort people have with the use of the internet. Safer Internet Day presents a wonderful opportunity to bring the issues impacting the internet ecosystem to the fore of public discourse. It also serves a reminder for us to take stock of our online behaviour and emphasises upon the need to close the gap on critical issues such as digital literacy and cyber safety awareness among internet users. Our study shows a remarkable shift in online behaviour among Indian internet users which has resulted from an increased sensitisation, and this has prompted the adoption of basic tools to address concerns around privacy and safety. At OLX, it has been our continuous endeavour to advocate the cause of cyber safety into the mainstream consciousness and provide netizens with the right tools to safeguard their online presence," said Lavanya Chandan, Director, OLX India.