Introduction

Increasing numbers of people are now using the Internet and making the most of the variety of options it provides in terms of information, communication and entertainment. The Internet is also becoming increasingly important as a transaction platform, with the number of people making a proportion of their purchases online or using various different Internet services rising constantly.

This study, conducted on behalf of the German Institute for Trust and Safety on the Internet (DIVSI), is concerned with the question of which benefits and risks the population, and particularly the users, associate with the Internet, how safe they feel when using the Internet, what kind of experiences they have had, and how they try to protect themselves against possible dangers. The key question addressed by the investigation was the significance attributed to constantly free and independent use of the Internet against the background of these assessments and experiences, and the extent to which it is deemed necessary to provide greater control and regulation of the Internet and its content. The intensity and main areas of Internet use were also determined.

The results are based on a survey of 1,487 people who constitute a representative cross-section of the population aged 16 years and older in the Federal Republic of Germany. The interviews were conducted verbally and face-to-face between 1 and 14 October 2013.

Allensbach am Bodensee, December 2013

Allensbach Institute (IfD)