A new survey by the cybersecurity company NordVPN reveals that 83 per cent of Canadians worry about being tracked online, and 32 per cent think they are being monitored almost all the time.
However, experts say that people make themselves trackable by accepting cookies, using public Wi-Fi, and even having a smartwatch: these are just some of the many ways to collect their data.
“It’s not only cybercriminals who want your data,” adds Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN. “Social media networks, ISPs, third-party organizations, websites, and governmental institutions regularly collect users’ personal data and browsing habits for marketing or other purposes. They frequently use cookies to track your digital footprints.”
Most Canadians believe that they are mostly tracked by criminals (67 per cent) and social media giants like Facebook (53 per cent). They also feel that Facebook (80 per cent), WhatsApp (20 per cent), and Instagram (40 per cent) collect the largest amount of their users’ data. Ironically, all three services belong to the same company. More than half of Canadians (65 per cent) feel that apps ask for more information than necessary.
Canadians also worry about brands or advertising agencies, information and advertising aggregators like Google, and the government (41 per cent) following their activities online.
Canadians are most afraid of getting their banking or financial information hacked
The survey also showed that Canadians are most afraid of getting their banking or financial information and passwords hacked. They are also anxious about hacked emails, personal or intimate photos, videos, and addresses.
Almost half, though, save their banking log-in details on various devices, which is dangerous.
“Entering your credit card details every time you buy something online might not seem convenient, but this is the right thing to do,” says Markuson. “The internet is not a safe place, and you shouldn’t trust third parties with your details.”
How are Canadians tracked?
People use smartphones all day, every day—for work, fun, to get in touch with friends, or to order groceries. Yet they believe that their mobile phones are the best way to track them online, along with laptops or desktop computers and tablets.
Few people consider smart home appliances capable of spying — they were named the least likely culprits.
When it comes to the utilization of people’s online data, the majority of Canadians believe it is used for targeted ads and sold to other companies. While thinking that cybercriminals track Canadians the most, people also assume that their data is analyzed to steal their identity.
The study also found 14 per cent of Canadians always allow cookies, and 29 per cent do so unless it looks suspicious—only 4 per cent never accept them.
“Another area where people often get caught out is accepting cookies,” says Markuson.
“They can track and collect data from your browser and send that data back to the website owner,” adds Markuson. “If you don’t decline third-party cookies, the website can sell your browsing data to those third parties,” Wi-fi gets people online in exchange for valuable personal sign-up data.
“When you use free Wi-Fi, there is a good chance it’s managed by a third-party provider, which gets you online in exchange for your valuable sign-up data such as email address, social media profile, and phone number.”
Some hotspot providers quietly track millions of users’ whereabouts even after they have left the establishment, he reveals.
Canadians are most likely to log into their personal emails and use social media channels with auto log-ins while on public Wi-Fi. Additionally, many people used public Wi-Fi to log into other accounts and buy from online retailers.
“While we are always tracked in one way or another whenever we go online, you can and should minimize it,” affirms Markuson. “Get a VPN to hide your IP and location, use a privacy browser, ditch Google which tracks a lot of data about you, and just be more careful online. Keep your good cyber hygiene habits to stay safe.”
