Russian Internet Users' Privacy: A Study of Attitudes and Behavior

Abstract

There is no sufficient empirical data on Russian Internet users’ level of concern, their attitudes about online privacy, or their corresponding behavior. This research tries to remedy the shortage. As the study demonstrates, the level of privacy concern in Russia is rather mixed: users are divided equally on whether they feel worried or not about the confidentiality of their personal data online. They also don’t demonstrate a clear trust preference in online or offline environments as far as the protection of their data is concerned. Their level of worry about online privacy in the last year has significantly increased, and that increase could have been caused by media coverage of many recent privacy leaks.Factors like frequency of the Internet use, age, material status and education have an effect on users’ attitude and behavior. For example, despite a common perception that young people do not care about their privacy, there is evidence that the younger generation is not indifferent to their privacy and their identity. Users with a higher material status tend to feel less worried about their privacy, but at the same time they are more likely to take certain actions to protect their data. Finally, the paper suggests several regulatory and educational measures that would help users make informed decisions, and offers some ideas to businesses to adjust their data gathering practices.