Phishing and hacking incidences continue to rise in Ireland, leading to rising concerns about sharing data and negative attitudes to technological advances generally.

1. Fraudulent activity remains very prominent in Ireland vs the rest of the world, with phishing and hacking incidences on the rise.
2. Those experiencing phishing in Ireland has risen from 43% in 2019 to 59% in 2022, the highest level seen globally.
3. Experience of bank/credit card related hacking/fraudulent is up almost 50% in the past two years, from 15% in 2019 to 22% in 2022.
4. Less than 1 in 3 know how their personal information is dealt with by the data collector, suggesting poor understanding and the need for more transparency.
5. As a result, trust about sharing personal information online is low in Ireland, with more than half the population (52%) worried about online sharing, with increasing concerns in younger age groups vs 2021.
6. Almost 3 in 5 adults in Ireland also feel that social networks are overwhelming their life, significantly above the global average, with younger age groups most likely to feel this way.
7. At the same time just 1 in 3 believe that new technological innovations are helping them to organise their life better.

WIN International, the world’s leading association in market research and polling, has published the Annual WIN World Survey – WWS 2022 – exploring the views and beliefs of 29,090 respondents in 36 countries across the globe. WIN has released the latest results of the survey to uncover the findings, improvements, or developments, made globally in various areas related to technology, including social media, data misuse and privacy of digital information.

HEADLINES – IRELAND

Incidence of fraudulent activities in Ireland

1. Nearly 3 in 5 in Ireland report having experienced phishing, with this on the rise since 2019 (+16%).
2. Over 1 in 5 have had their bank account or credit card hacked or used fraudulently, up 4% vs 2021 and up 7% vs 2019.
3. Ireland seems to be especially targeted with these activities, and sits at the top of the list for phishing and sits at #5 out of the global list for hacking/fraudulent use of bank account or credit card.
4. Men, those from more upmarket backgrounds, and those aged under 55 years have higher occurrences reported than others.
5. Email hacking (-2%) and personal data leaks (-1%) are at similar levels to those seen in 2021 and Ireland is fairly on par with global levels.

Awareness of what happens to personal information after sharing with data collector

1. There are low level of awareness (28%) for what happens with one’s personal information after sharing with a data collector. However, this awareness has grown since 2020, driven especially by 18-34-year-olds.
2. Despite this growth in awareness, Ireland sits significantly below the global average in this regard (-5%).

Concern for online information sharing

1. With such high levels of fraudulent online activity experienced in Ireland, it is perhaps unsurprising to learn that over half (52%) worry about sharing their details online.
2. This concern compared to 2021 does not worsen, but we do see growing concern amongst 18-34-year-olds who also claim to have more of an awareness of what actually happens with one’s personal information after sharing with data collectors.

View on technology

1. Only a minority of 34% think that technology helps them organize their everyday life better.
2. Irish perception on technology being an advantage is much weaker (-11%) than global score.

Richard Colwell, C.E.O., RED C Research, said:

“Rising experiences of fraudulent activity by the Irish public are of significant concern, and the fact that we are near the top globally is not something to be shouting about.  There is clearly more needed to be done to help people better understand when to share data and when not to, in order to better help build confidence in those working legally in this space.  Consumers in Ireland also appear to be tiring of the impact technology is having on their lives and not particularly seeing the benefits .”

HEADLINES WORLD

Are social media networks overwhelming our lives?

Across all 39 countries surveyed, respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with the statement ‘social networks overwhelm our life’ on a scale of 1 (do not agree at all) to 10 (completely agree). The most popular response across all countries surveyed was the highest answer of ’10’, with 22% of respondents completely agreeing with the statement. A much smaller percentage, 5.4%, stated they ‘do not agree at all’ that social networks overwhelm our lives.

The countries that feel most overwhelmed by social media are Serbia (52.1%), Croatia (51.4%) and Slovenia (47.1%). On the contrary, the countries that don’t share this feeling are Côte d’Ivoire (23.6%), Turkey (22.3%) and Argentina (15.1%).

Technology as a tool to get organized

Although people might have mixed feelings about social media, it is evident that there is a use for tech in the day to day. 45.3% of respondents globally agree that new technologies help them being better organized in their everyday life. This answer is more prevalent in the 18-24 age group, with 51.5% of respondents completely agreeing, but was still as high as 37.9% in the 65+ demographic.

There’s also a slight difference in how males and females answered the question, with more males believing that technology was a beneficial tool to help them get more organized, with 47.4 % of male respondents completely agreeing with the statement. Females were slightly lower with a global average of 43% completely agreeing.

Decrease in concerns over sharing personal information digitally

In terms of how individuals responded when asked to agree or disagree with the statement ‘I am aware what happens with my personal information after I shared it with a data collector’, this year’s data saw a 2% increase in people agreeing when compared to the 33% of people who agreed in 2021. Furthermore, when asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement ‘I am concerned about sharing my personal information digitally’ there was a decrease from 48% on a global scale in 2021 to 45% in 2022.

However, the concern is still high in countries such as Thailand (75%), Brazil (68%) and Kenya (68%), whereas Germany (27%), Pakistan (30%) and Hong Kong (31%) ranked lowest in the ‘completely agree’ category.

Vilma Scarpino, President of WIN International Association, said:

“The results of this year’s WIN World Survey highlight the complex relationship between technology and our everyday lives. While some respondent express concerns about the overwhelming impact of social media, others see technology as a useful tool for getting organized. The survey also reveals shifting attitudes towards data privacy, with more individuals feeling informed about the fate of their personal information. As we continue to navigate the rapidly evolving digital landscape, it’s important to remain mindful of its potential impacts on our lives.”

-ENDS-

Media enquiries:

IRELAND DATA

Richard Colwell, C.E.O., RED C Research

Derek Bell, Associate Director, RED C Research

+35318186316

[email protected]

WORLDWIDE DATA

Elena Crosilla, WIN Coordinator

+39 335.62.07.347

E-mail: [email protected]

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Methodology:

The survey was conducted in 36 countries using CAWI / CATI / F2F/ TAPI /online survey methods.

Sample Size and Mode of Field Work:

A total of 29,739 people were interviewed. See below for sample details. The fieldwork was conducted during October 9th and December 10th, 2022. The margin of error for the survey is between 4.4 and 2.5 at 95% confidence level.

The global average has been computed according to the covered adult population of the surveyed countries.

About RED C:

RED C are premier providers of research-based consultancy services, with offices in Dublin and London. Founded in Dublin in 2003, we have been providing high quality research and polling based consultancy services to business, communities and government both nationally and internationally for many years.  We are part of the Business Post group house of brands, delivering insight through data, journalism, analysis and storytelling.  We help brands grow by clearly understanding human needs and behaviour.

About WIN:

The Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN) is a global network conducting market research and opinion polls in every continent.

Our assets

• Thought leadership: access to a group of the most prominent experts and business entrepreneurs in Market Research, Polling and Consultancy
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In the years, WIN has demonstrated wide competences and ability to conduct multi-country surveys following the highest standards requested by the market. The accumulated expertise of the Association is formidable: among others, researched themes are gender equality and young people, communication and media research, and brand studies.

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