Pew: Most Internet Users Have Hidden Our Tracks

Recently released, a new study from Pew Internet entitled Anonymity, Privacy, and Security Online shows that while a majority of respondents would like to remain anonymous online, most of us recognize that such anonymity is increasingly impossible.

A few of the study’s key findings:

• 86% of internet users have taken steps online to remove or mask their digital footprints—ranging from clearing cookies to encrypting their email.
• 55% of internet users have taken steps to avoid observation by specific people, organizations, or the government.

The study also cites specific invasions or infractions of privacy suffered by respondents, in an age when “identity theft” is an ever increasing concern.

A question for you: Do you feel you are able to interact privately on the Internet? Is privacy something you seek or something you assume you’ve given up when you interact online?

Read the full survey