Eurobarometer: Latvians less concerned about cyber security than people in other EU member states

  • 2017-01-08
  • BNS/TBT Staff

RIGA - People in Latvia are less concerned about the safety of their personal information on the Internet compared to citizens in other EU member states, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.

In Latvia, 57 percent of respondents said it was important that personal information (such as their pictures, contact lists, etc.) on their computer, smartphone or tablet could only be accessed with their permission, as compared to 78 percent in the EU.

Guaranteed confidentiality of their e-mails and online instant messaging is important for 49 percent of Latvians as opposed to 72 percent in the EU.

Whereas for 37 percent of respondents in Latvia it is very important that tools for monitoring their activities online (such as cookies) can only be used with their permission, the respective EU figure is 56 percent.

As regards the possibility of encryption, 49 percent in Latvia totally agreed that they should be able to encrypt their messages and calls, so they can only be read by the recipient, 33 percent tended to agree, 11 percent tended to disagree, and the rest either totally disagreed or did not have an opinion on the subject.

In the EU, 65 percent totally agreed that they should be able to encrypt their messages and calls, 25 percent tended to agree, 5 percent tended to disagree, 3 percent totally disagreed and the remaining respondents could not give a definite answer.