[NA-Discuss] Fwd: [Chapter-delegates] NEWS RELEASE: Global Internet User Survey Reveals Attitudes, Usage, and Behavior

Joly MacFie joly at punkcast.com
Mon Nov 26 13:45:18 UTC 2012


As you may recall I mentioned this survey in connection with the proposed
NARALO survey. I believe it's an ongoing program. Never was able to
consolidate any link up.


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Global Internet User Survey Reveals Attitudes, Usage, and Behavior

Survey of more than 10,000 Internet users in 20 countries highlights online
behavior and usage in addition to views about privacy and identity, human
rights, censorship, and society

[WASHINGTON, DC and GENEVA, Switzerland – 26 November 2012] – A worldwide
survey of more than 10,000 Internet users in 20 countries conducted by the
Internet Society revealed attitudes towards the Internet and user behavior
online. The Global Internet User Survey is one of the broadest surveys of
Internet user attitudes on key issues facing the Internet. This year's
survey covered areas such as how users manage personal information online,
attitudes toward the Internet and human rights, censorship, and the
potential for the Internet to address issues such as economic development
and education.

"Today’s online users have high expectations for the Internet and its
impact on our lives and society, while also expressing concerns over
censorship and excessive governmental controls," said Lynn St. Amour,
President and CEO of the Internet Society. "As part of realizing the
Internet Society's vision of an Internet that is for everyone, this survey
uniquely focuses on users and their experiences, attitudes, and opinions on
how to meet the challenges and opportunities facing the Internet and
society in general. We are committed to the Internet’s continued open
growth and evolution, not only for those who enjoy the Internet today, but
until everyone is able to access and benefit from an open Internet."

Key findings from this year's survey cover a broad range of topics.

The Internet and Human Rights:
* Eighty-three percent of respondents agreed or agreed strongly that access
to the Internet should be considered a basic human right.
* Eighty-nine percent agreed or agreed strongly that Internet access allows
freedom of expression on all subjects, and 86 percent agreed or agreed
strongly that freedom of expression should be guaranteed.
* Sixty percent of respondents agreed or agreed strongly that Internet
access has contributed significantly to civil action and political
awareness in their country.

Internet censorship:
* Thirty percent of users agreed strongly that censorship currently exists
on the Internet.
* Sixty-six percent of respondents agreed or agreed strongly that
governments in countries with no Internet censorship have a responsibility
to keep the Internet free of censorship in countries where the Internet is
being censored/controlled/shut down.
* More than 70 percent of users agreed or agreed strongly that more
government involvement would make the Internet too controlled or would
limit content they can access.
* More than two-thirds agreed or agreed strongly that increased government
control would inhibit the growth of the Internet and/or stifle innovation.

Online privacy and identity:
* Even when users know they are sharing personal data with a site or
service, most users (80 percent) do not always read privacy policies and a
significant fraction (12 percent) of respondents admitted that they never
read privacy policies.
* Of users who logged into online services, only half reported that they
logged out.
* Nineteen percent of respondents were aware of circumstances in which
personal data was used in a way they did not expect. The most commonly
reported consequences were: unsolicited communications, stolen personal
data, private data becoming public, impersonation, and financial loss.

The Internet and economic and societal issues:
* Nearly two-thirds of respondents agreed or agreed strongly that the
Internet would play a significant role in solving global problems,
including reducing child mortality (63 percent), improving maternal health
(65 percent), eliminating extreme poverty and hunger (61 percent), and
preventing the trafficking of women and children (69 percent).
* An even higher percentage of respondents agreed or agreed strongly that
the Internet would increase global trade and economic relationships (81
percent), improve the quality of education (80 percent), and improve
emergency response during a natural disaster (77 percent).
* A majority of respondents felt strongly that the Internet plays a
significant role in making improvements to business, science, and
technology in areas such as: expanding the availability of goods and
services (66 percent), allowing entrepreneurs to conduct business across
all countries (65 percent), and advancing science and technology and
creating a technologically recognized workforce (61 percent).

Attitudes towards the Internet:
* Ninety-eight percent of users agreed or strongly agreed the Internet is
essential for their access to knowledge and education.
* More than 80 percent agreed or agreed strongly that the Internet plays a
positive role for their individual lives as well as society at large.
* Nearly 75 percent of users strongly agreed that access to the Internet
allows them to seek any information that interests them.

General Internet usage:
* Internet users nearly universally (96 percent) indicated they accessed
the Internet at least once a day.
* More than 90 percent of Internet users surveyed globally indicated they
use social media, with a majority (60 percent) using it daily, an increase
of 10 percent over 2011.
* Connection speed (73 percent) and reliability (69 percent) ranked
slightly above more affordable monthly fees (68 percent) among factors that
would increase usage. Other factors included more content in their local
language (50 percent) and more online availability of government and/or
community services (49 percent).

The Internet Society's Global Internet User Survey (GIUS) provides reliable
information relevant to issues important to the Internet’s future. As an
ongoing effort, the survey provides information, informs and supports the
activities of the global Internet Society community, and makes the data it
collects openly available for all. While other ICT surveys focus on
economic, infrastructure, or other Internet use indicators, the GIUS
focuses on users, which are the source of innovation that has driven the
Internet’s development, evolution, and dramatic growth over the past four
decades. The first GIUS in 2011 gathered the responses of 6,088 Internet
users in 11 countries.

This year, the GIUS was conducted on behalf of the Internet Society from
July to August 2012 by Redshift Research, a leading business market
research firm. The survey questionnaire engaged 10,789 Internet users in 20
countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
South Africa, South Korea, Spain, UAE, and the United States. Of the
respondents, 53 percent were male and 47 percent were female. Results from
the survey varied across countries; future reports will provide additional
insight into these variations.

The complete questionnaire, full results—including results by country—and
more information on survey methodology are available at:
http://www.internetsociety.org/survey

https://www.internetsociety.org/news/global-internet-user-survey-reveals-attitudes-usage-and-behavior

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