After the Snowden leaks, 700 million move to avoid NSA spying

Lucas Mearian | Dec. 16, 2014

Survey shows 83 percent believe Internet access should be a basic human right.

Credit: ThinkStock/ Computerworld

An international survey of Internet users has found that more than 39% have taken steps to protect their online privacy and security as a result of spying revelations by one-time NSA employee Edward Snowden.

The survey, conducted by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), found that 43% of Internet users now avoid certain websites and applications and 39% change their passwords regularly.

The survey reached 23,376 Internet users in 24 countries and was conducted between Oct. 7 and Nov. 12.

The countries in the survey included Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and the United States.

Cryptographer and computer security specialist Bruce Schneier lamented how the survey's findings have been portrayed, with some pointing out how few people were affected by Snowden's actions or even know his name.

"The press is mostly spinning this as evidence that Snowden has not had an effect: "merely 39%," "only 39%," and so on," Schneier wrote in a blog.

The news articles, "are completely misunderstanding the data," Schneier said, pointing to the fact that the survey found that 39% of Internet users in the world have heard of Snowden.

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After the Snowden leaks, 700 million move to avoid NSA spying