Rising Privacy Fears are Keeping Older Internet Users Offline

11/13/19 • From The Telegraph by Mike Wright and Metro by Jeff Parsons

Internet privacy is a rising concern among web uses above 50 according to a pair of recent articles citing a new study from Dr. Grant Blank, a Survey Research Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute. The study found that less than half of people in that age bracket do not use the internet vs. more than 90 percent that are online for those people under the age of 50. After the age of 50, the number of people online falls about around two percent every year.


Those in the 50+ group see the internet as less of a necessity in their lives, and also where challenged by the complexity of devices and online services. However, the number also citing privacy concerns has jumped 10x since 2013. The main concern relates to being tracked by advertisers, rather than the threat of viruses or malware, which has dropped by more than half in the same period.

“There is a widening perception gap between internet users and non-users, with non-users resolutely avoiding the internet…while tend[ing] to be put off by privacy concerns, stated Blank.  “These concerns could perpetuate the digital divide, with many people missing out on the benefits of the internet, such as access to health information, employment opportunities and reduced prices online,” he continues.


Read the Original Stories:

Over 65s shun internet as Oxford University study finds rising privacy concern

Fears over privacy are widening the ‘digital divide’, experts suggest

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