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Do we trust the Internet?
Our poll finds that Web users are increasingly wary and demanding
We may be more familiar with the Internet than we were 10 years ago, but that doesn't mean we're any more comfortable with it. These days, Web surfers are less trusting, more demanding, and a lot more careful with their personal information, according to a poll by Consumer Reports WebWatch, a grant-funded project of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of ConsumerReports.org and Consumer Reports magazine.
In comparison with WebWatch's 2002 survey, overall trust in accuracy on the Web has declined. Internet users also remain skeptical about various categories of Web sites in general, despite building trust in specific sites through learning and experience.
Web users also have higher expectations. For example:
- 88 percent say keeping personal information safe and secure is very important for a Web site they visit.
- Being able to trust the information on a site is not far behind, with 81 percent saying it is very important, little changed from 80 percent in the 2002 survey.
- 76 percent say it is very important to be able to easily identify the sources of information on the site, up 8 percentage points.
- 73 percent rate knowing that a site is updated frequently with new information as very important, also up 8 points.
- 48 percent say knowing who owns a Web site is very important, up 16 points.
IDENTITY THEFT
Identity theft is a substantial concern for all users polled, causing many to change their Internet habits. Nearly 9 out of 10 Internet users (86 percent) have made at least one change in their behavior because of fears about identity theft:
- A majority of users (53 percent) say they have stopped giving out personal information on the Internet.
- 30 percent say they have reduced their overall use of the Internet.
- 25 percent say they have stopped buying things online.
- 58 percent of online shoppers have started using just a single credit card for all the items they buy online.
- 54 percent of those who shop online report that they have become more likely to read a site's privacy policy or user agreement before making a purchase.
- 29 percent say they have cut back on how often they buy products on the Internet.
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