Attitudes of Internet users in the Middle East towards cybersafety, security and data privacy

The attitudes of Internet users in the MENA region to

Cybersafety, Online Security and Data Privacy

Introducing…

About Rassed

The Digital Society division at the Ministry of Information and

Communication Technology (ictQATAR) established “Rassed” to:

1. Study the impact of the Internet and Information

Communication Technologies (ICT) on society; and

2. Explore the potential of emerging digital technologies.

Find out more about our work at: www.ictqatar.qa/en/rassed

Examples of our work

• Quarterly Market Intelligence reports; “Digital Digest” and

monthly Tech “Top Tens” = 140,000+ views since June 2012.

• Our channel is in the Top 1% most viewed on SlideShare.

• Visit http://www.slideshare.net/ictQATAR/

Where our work has featured

What are users doing online?What are their Needs?

Attitudes and Behaviors?

And use this to shape policy and practice.

Why this matters

Need to understand:

The ICT Landscape

7+ billion citizens

2.5 billion online (35%)

1.8 billion are onsocial media

(26%)

Source : We AreSocial

Global MENA279 million citizens

102 million online (37%)

66 million are onsocial media

(24%)

The attitudes of Internet users in the MENA region to

Cybersafety, Online Security and Data Privacy

PURPOSE AND METHODOLOGY

Purpose of this Study

This report looks at the attitudes of online users in the MENA region towards cybersafety, security and data privacy.

The study is in line with our mandate to conduct studies and research on the impact of ICT on Society, so that stakeholders can understand the societal context in which they are operating.

Aims to inform policy and practice - internally and externally.

Areas of study

1. Usage of ICT and the Internet in the region

2. Attitudes towards the Internet

3. Concerns about safety in cyberspace

4. Trust in different online actors

5. Behaviors online

Methodology

• Online survey of existing Internet users.

• ictQATAR worked with the Oxford Internet Institute in collaboration with Cornell University.

• Fieldwork by comScore and Toluna.

Countries covered

Algeria Egypt

Tunisia

Morocco

Iraq Jordan

Yemen

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Oman

Qatar

Kuwait

Bahrain

UAE

MENA sample = 2,793 * Results from 14 countries

Research sample

• Global sample = 8,442* Results from 44 countries

• Total Sample = 11,225* Covers 58 countries

5 KEY DIFFERENCES MENA VS GLOBAL

1. MENA users are less likely to shop or bank online.

2. Higher perception in MENA that “the Internet is making things better for people like me.” (49% vs. 39%)

3. Higher desire for Government role re harmful content.

4. Less worried about safety of personal online content.

5. Strongly against data repurposing.

MENA VS Global

3 KEY DIFFERENCESGCC VS NORTH AFRICA

1. GCC: more likely to access the Internet on the move.

2. GCC: greater access to technologies like tablets (70% vs. 33%) and gaming machines (62% vs. 36%).

3. North Africa: stronger sense that personal data put online is kept safe (22% vs. 15%).

GCC VS North Africa

1. TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET

MENA households full of technology

VoIP is highly prevalent

The region has some of the highest take-up of video and voice calls over the Internet.

2. ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE INTERNET

Generally, attitudes were…

• Positive: Belief that the Internet brings benefits to people.

• Safeness: Divided views on how safe the Internet is.

• Government: Higher demand for Government to regulate, censor and protect Internet users from harmful content.

Higher belief in MENA that the Internet is “making things better”

Harmful content: Protecting Children

“Discriminatory” or “Racist” content

3. LEVELS OF CONCERN

Areas of concern

High concerns about:

• Being Hacked • Misled by false information• Reputation damage

Lower concerns about:

• Being monitored online • Data collection

Concerns around data repurposing

4. TRUST IN ONLINE PLAYERS

Trust in Different Online Players

Higher trust in…

Entities that are “offline first”

• Mobile and telephone providers

• Government authorities

• Banks and financial institutions

• Health and medical providers

Lower trust in…

Entities that are “online first”

• Social networking websites

• Online search engines

• Online websites and newspapers

• Online marketers and advertisers

Trust Index

5. BEHAVIOR

Inconsistency in claimed behaviors and actions

Behaviors and Attitudes are not always aligned.

Examples of potentially reckless behavior in MENA:

• More likely: to open attachments from people they don’t know.

• Less likely: to scan their computers/devices for viruses.

• More likely: to “Friend” people they don’t know .

SAY

they are safety-conscious

ACT

safety-conscious

Takeaways

5 top-level MENA findings

1. Broad equivalency - access to technology compared to global averages.

2. MENA Internet users more likely to agree that “the Internet is making things better for people like me” compared to the world average.

3. They are also more supportive of the idea that Government authorities should block harmful content than users elsewhere.

4. Amongst different online players; banks and financial institutions in the region enjoy the highest levels of trust.

5. MENA Internet users are among the most likely to open attachments, documents and emails from senders they do not know.

What does this mean for you?

1. Need to understand users desire for Government role in

managing harmful content.

2. Multi-stakeholder approach to encouraging safer

online behavior – building on high trust levels.

3. Educate and empower users regarding data

management, collection / repurposing.

QUESTIONS?Thank you for listening

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Email: rassed@ict.gov.qa