Data breaches are the oil spills of the digital economy. Over 429 million people were
affected by reported data breaches in 2015 – and that number is certain to grow even higher in 2016.
These large-scale data breaches along with uncertainties about the use of our data, cybercrime, surveillance and other online threats are eroding trust on the Internet.
This is why the 2016 edition of our Global Internet Report is dedicated to exploring data breaches, their impact on user trust and their consequences for the global digital economy.
These consequences, not surprisingly, can be serious. The purpose of the report is not to emphasize the problem, but to offer solutions and to emphasize the important role that companies and organizations play in building a more trusted Internet.
A key question raised by the report is:
why are organisations not taking all available steps to protect the personal information they collect from each of us?
The report examines the issues and walks through a number of case studies that highlight the concerns. It ends with a series of five concrete recommendations for actions we need to take.
This video provides a preview:
We ask you to please read the 2016 GIR, to share the report widely, and to take whatever actions you can to bring about a more trusted Internet.
This issue of trust is so serious that we risk undoing all of the progress we have made over the past three decades. It is time we act together to solve it.
