Australians are concerned about online security but are not using available options to protect themselves, Information and Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim claims.
But when asked what these "available options" are, Pilgrim's spokesperson was unable to provide specifics.
"The terms 'privacy tools' and 'privacy settings' have been used in the general sense," the spokesperson said.
"As described, the survey reveals that: 61% check website security; over 65% do not read privacy policies; half do not regularly adjust privacy settings on social media; and half do not clear their browsing history."
{loadposition sam08}Pilgrim's claims were made as part of the 2017 Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey, released for Privacy Awareness Week.
It claimed that 69% of Australians say they feel more concerned about their online privacy than they did five years ago, and 83% believed privacy risks were greater online than offline.
"It’s encouraging to see that Australians are alert to privacy risks. But we need to convert awareness into action, and use the options already available to us to protect our personal information," said Pilgrim.
‘While 61% of us check website security, our results found that over 65% of Australians do not read privacy policies, and half do not regularly adjust privacy settings on social media, or clear their browsing history.
"These are options that we can all use to better protect our privacy. If you are shopping or socialising online I encourage you to take the time to protect your privacy first.
"For businesses, these results show there is still work to do to make privacy easy for customers to manage. Those long-winded privacy notices and complex settings need to be replaced by clear language and point-in-time notifications.
"Some are doing this well, but others need to lift their game, because our survey shows the majority of Australians have decided not to deal with a business due to privacy concerns."
