Avira Survey Finds Computer Users Don’t Feel Safe on Social Media Sites

Tettnang, Germany --- May 2, 2012 – IT security expert Avira conducted a survey of computer users worldwide in January and February which showed that more than four out of five users worry about their personal information being stolen or misused on social media sites such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. The survey revealed that 44 percent of respondents worried most about Facebook and Google+ while another 40 percent worried about all social media sites equally.

Survey questions were presented to Avira’s more than 100 million customers worldwide during January and February 2012. Results are based on 2,710 respondents with a margin of error of +/- 1.88 percent:

Which of the following social media sites worry you most regarding your personal information being in danger of being stolen or misused? (choose only one)

A) 25% - Facebook
B) 19% - Google+
C) 2% - Twitter
D) 40% - All of the above - I do not feel safe when using social media sites
E) 14% - None of the above - I feel safe online using social media sites

“This survey was very interesting because it demonstrated that even though social media sites are very popular among the general population, computer users from all over the world have the same concerns,” said Sorin Mustaca, data security expert of Avira GmbH. “They are wary of the safety of their personal information when it’s disseminated across social media sites. In order to use social media sites without being afraid of having your data misused, I strongly advise not storing private data on these websites. Never forget that as soon as any information is published on a public website, it doesn’t actually belong to you anymore.”

To address the problem of security on social networks, Avira earlier this month acquired SocialShield®, the top-rated parental monitoring service for keeping children and teens safe while using social networks. Avira immediately began offering SocialShield for free and will quickly incorporate the social network monitoring technology into Avira’s free security product portfolio.

“It is critical that our users are free to do what they want to do online without worrying that someone is going to obtain personal information for unauthorized use,” continued Mustaca.