A total of 31% of the Romanian internet users released personal information online in 2016, according to a study by marketing agency Perceptum, quoted by local news agency Agerpres. This amounts to almost half of the European average, which stands at 71%, according to the same source.

The study was conducted based on data released between December 2016 and February 2017 by the EU statistics bureau Eurostat.

At the same time, only 15 percent of the Romanians surfing the internet declined to release personal data for advertising purposes, compared to a European average of 80%. An identical percentage limited other users’ access to their profile or to the content shared on social media, compared to an EU average of 40%.

Seven out of ten EU internet users aged 16 to 74 are aware that they expose themselves to abuses with the acceptance of cookies, while only 38% of Romanians are aware of the existence of these files and the feedback they can provide to site owners.

At the same time, only 24% of internet users in Romania read sites’ confidentiality policies, compared to an EU average of 37%.

The study also showed the use of mobile devices for surfing activities, with 70% of those going online doing so from mobile phones or smartphones, and 26% from tablets.

editor@romania-insider.com