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05 January 2021

3 in 10 internet users in APAC keeping it 'anonymous'

12/14/2020 01:18:23 AM



Kaspersky, through one of its recent studies, has said there are 3-in-10 people from the Asia Pacific region that said they have an account on social networking sites that doesn't show their real names, photos, and personally identifiable information.

The global cybersecurity company has commissioned the Digital Reputation (or its full name, “Making sense of our place in the digital reputation economy”) research this past November 2020. From its 1,240 respondents across the region (or specifically, the countries of Australia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam), Southeast Asia got the most number of people who use social media with the power of anonymity with 35 percent, while South Asia accumulated 28 percent, and Australia at 20%. The said research study showed the platform being used the most by users who want to keep their identities are Facebook (70%), followed by YouTube (37%) in a very narrow margin, as well as Instagram (33%), and Twitter (25%).

While it may be frowned upon at first glance, the use of “nameless and faceless profiles” is two-pronged. Survey results revealed how this reality allows individuals to chase their passions and to harness free speech but at the same time to conduct malicious and harmful activities.

The quantified percent is that almost half (49%) of those surveyed stated that they use anonymous accounts to exercise their freedom of speech without affecting their reputation, while 48% wanted to indulge in their secret interests that they were not too keen on having their friends find out about.

Meanwhile, more than a quarter (34%) also use these accounts to be able to disagree with someone or a piece of news online without using my real identity Although 30% used an anonymous social media account for the fairly innocuous activity of sharing information about their favorite artists and interests, 22% were also engaged in online stalking.

The said report also emphasized that only a small percentage (3%) reported using an anonymous account to deflect spam emails from their actual accounts, avoid doxing, serve as an alternative for other purposes such as gaming and prevent external agencies from having access to their real email accounts.

The crux of these findings is that consumers in APAC are increasingly becoming aware of the reputation they are building online and its importance to their real lives. On this basis, it is not surprising that 49% of the respondents will check the social media accounts of a brand or a company before purchasing their goods or services.

A point worth noting for businesses is that more than half (51%) of the survey respondents underlined the importance of a company’s online reputation. Nearly 5-in-10 (48%) asserted that they avoid companies who were involved in a scandal or had received negative news coverage online.

Additionally, 38% also stopped using a company’s or brand’s products once they were embroiled in some kind of crisis online. Almost half (41%) also revealed that the reputation of the brand's endorsers affects their view of the brand.

When asked about the brand’s transparency on their online pages, 50% of users in APAC think that companies should not delete negative comments on their social media accounts.

“From the initial purpose of finding and connecting with friends and families, social media has evolved and will continue to evolve in unprecedented ways. It has played a key role in how we socialize and identify with each other, but now, we have arrived at a fork in the road where virtual profiles of both individuals and companies are being used as a parameter for judgment,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.

“Our latest survey confirmed that consumers now hold companies accountable for their online reputation, in the same way, that individuals’ behavior on social media is now being used to determine one’s credit score, to screen one’s employability, and even to either reject or approve one’s Visa request. With these real-world repercussions, we must learn a fine balancing act between privacy and security to be able to secure our increasingly crucial digital reputation,” he adds.

With all that being said, Kaspersky has recommended the following measures for people who want to defend their online reputation in such a secure manner:

Remember your digital reputation is also linked to your personal reputation. Everything that is posted on the internet remains on the internet, including harsh and radical judgments. These can lead to unpleasant explanations at the workplace or during hiring processes.

To protect your digital reputation, it’s better to be more cautious than to reveal personal information about yourself, especially on social profiles. Never divulge too much, stick to basics and share only things that are necessary and needed. The more your share, the more appealing you are to an attacker who is looking to steal your personal data or even your identity. 

Delete accounts and data – we all have dozens of accounts, many of which are barely used or forgotten. Many of them persist and any one of them could leak your information.

Preventing personal data abuse – if apps are asking for sensitive data, take a look at its privacy policy, which might openly state that your data will be passed to third-party companies. Don’t give apps more information than necessary – think carefully about what they genuinely need and what they can do without. Remember that any information you hand over to apps is unlikely to remain completely private.

A combined solution of security products and practical steps can minimize the threats and keep your data safe online. Reliable security solutions for comprehensive protection from a wide range of threats – such as Kaspersky Security Cloud and Kaspersky Internet Security, coupled with the use of Kaspersky Password Manager  to safely store your valuable digital data – can help solve the problem of keeping your personal information under control.

Author: slickmaster | © 2020, 2021 The SlickMaster's Files

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