Three out of four Europeans accept that revealing personal data is part of everyday life, but they are also worried about how companies – including search engines and social networks – use their information. The Maltese are keen users of social networks but lag behind other European countries in terms of online shopping, they are willing to share personal information to trusted organisations and are aware of the risks involved. Yet most Maltese still think sharing personal information online is not being forced on them.
These trends emerge from a new Eurobarometer survey on attitudes towards data protection and electronic identity in the EU-27, just released by the European Commission.
While close to three-quarters of the Europeans interviewed agree that disclosing personal information is an increasing part of modern life, only 57 per cent of Maltese think so, and this puts them third from bottom just before Romania and Hungary in the rankings.
More than six respondents out of ten (63 per cent) in the EU say that disclosing personal information is a big issue for them. However it is a big issue for 71 per cent of Maltese, among the highest of all EU countries.
Almost three out of ten European interviewees (28 per cent) feel obliged to disclose personal information on the internet. Here the Maltese are below average with just 11 per cent, the second lowest in the rankings.
Two-thirds or more of respondents in the Netherlands, Denmark and Malta disclose information only to people and organisations they trust, compared to around one-third in Poland, Romania and Portugal.
More than six Europeans out of 10 interviewed agree that the government of their country of residence asks them for more and more personal information (64 per cent). However the lowest numbers of respondents who agree were recorded in Luxembourg (34 per cent), Malta (39 per cent), Sweden and Estonia (both 40 per cent).
Respondents in Greece and Cyprus, the Czech Republic, and Ireland, Malta, Slovakia, and Bulgaria (98-96 per cent) are most likely to say that their specific approval should be obtained before any kind of personal data is collected and processed. Malta is first in the list when asked if they wanted to delete personal information whenever they decide to.
The percentage of Maltese who think they are personally responsible for their personal data on social networking sites is the highest among the EU nationalities. The Maltese are all for imposing fines on companies that breach data handling regulations but are mostly against banning them from using the data.
The Maltese ranked 11th (58 per cent) in terms on home banking (Finland topped the list with 89 per cent). Three-quarters of European respondents consider financial information, such as the salary, bank details, and credit record, to be personal. This was the most cited item in eight member states including Malta. It was also the first mentioned item in Germany, equal with medical information, and in Cyprus, where it was equal with fingerprints.
Almost three-quarters of the European interviewees, and a majority in each single member state, consider their national identity number, identity card number or passport number as personal information. But the Maltese go against the European trend as only 53 per cent of the Maltese think so, the lowest across the EU. The same goes for the personal name, as only 22 per cent of Maltese, the lowest among the EU, consider their name as personal information.
When it comes to social networking, the Maltese like to share their name, photos, nationality, and their personal opinions without difficulty. But they are not too fond of sharing their mobile number, ID card number and fingerprints when compared to other nationalities.
Social networking sites are used most often in Hungary (80 per cent), Latvia (73 per cent) and Malta (71 per cent). Germany is last with just 37 per cent.
Almost half of social network and/or sharing sites users feel sufficiently informed, but the rest do not. The countries with the largest proportions of sufficiently-informed respondents include Malta. Indeed the Maltese also top the list of respondents who feel they are in complete control of disclosed personal information on social networking and sharing sites, and when doing online shopping.
The Maltese rank third when asked whether they are aware or not that their information is being used without their knowledge. Portugal and the UK are at the bottom of this list.
When comparing this social networking site use with online shopping, a general pattern – with few exceptions – emerges in this Eurobarometer survey: countries with high percentages of social networking site users tend to have low percentages of online shoppers. Vice-versa, the countries with low percentages of social networking site users tend to have high percentages of online shoppers. Malta scores high in terms of social network use and low in terms of online shopping.
A majority of Europeans are not concerned about their behaviour being recorded in a public space (62 per cent). The Maltese follow this average and majority of respondents are not concerned about their behaviour being recorded in most of the places.
In each of the member states – with the exception of the UK – a majority of the interviewees had adapted their behaviour after reading privacy statements on the internet: they had decided at least once not to use an online service, or they had become more cautious about the personal information they disclosed on the internet.
This is particularly true in Malta, Cyprus, Austria and Slovenia. The lowest percentage is found in the UK, which is also the only country where a majority says they have not adapted their behaviour.
The survey results come as the Commission prepares to reform EU data protection rules.
The aim is to protect individuals’ data in all policy areas, including law enforcement, reducing red tape on business and guaranteeing the free circulation of data within the EU.
The Commission plans to come forward with specific proposals before the end of the year.