Nearly 70 percent of internet users in Cyprus took active steps to protect their personal data online in 2025, according to the latest figures. Specifically, 69.8 percent of users on the island managed access to their personal information through privacy and security measures. Across the European Union, the proportion was higher, reaching 76.9 percent.
Advertising and location data most restricted
At EU level, the most common form of data protection was limiting the use of personal information for advertising purposes. A total of 58.8 percent of internet users chose not to allow their data to be used for targeted advertising, while 56.2 percent restricted or denied access to their geographical location.
Both practices have become more widespread over the past two years. Compared with 2023, restrictions on advertising data increased by 4.5 percentage points, while limits on location tracking rose by 5.4 points.
Social media and cloud access controls on the rise
Restricting access to social media profiles or shared online storage spaces also became more common. In 2025, 46.0 percent of internet users adopted such measures, an increase of five percentage points compared with two years earlier.
More users are also paying closer attention to website security and privacy terms. Almost four in ten users, 39.0 percent, checked whether a website was secure before providing personal data, an increase of 4.2 points since 2023. Meanwhile, 37.6 percent reported reading privacy policy statements before sharing information online, up 1.7 points over the same period.
Wide differences between EU countries
Significant differences persist among EU member states. The highest levels of data protection awareness were recorded in Finland, where 92.6 percent of users took protective measures. The Netherlands followed with 91.2 percent, while Czechia ranked third at 90.3 percent.
At the other end of the scale, the lowest shares of users actively protecting their data were observed in Romania at 56.0 percent, Slovenia at 57.4 percent and Bulgaria at 62.0 percent.
The figures point to a steady increase in digital awareness across Europe, even as gaps remain between countries in how proactively users safeguard their personal information online.