Parents in Luxembourg are now more likely to activate parental controls on devices used by their children than in 2018 Shutterstock

Parents in Luxembourg are now more likely to activate parental controls on devices used by their children than in 2018 Shutterstock

According to the Eurobarometer survey “Europeans’ attitudes towards cyber security” published 29 January, the proportion of parents activating control settings on devices used by their children rose 9 percentage points compared to 2018, a growth equalled only by France.

Activating parental controls are controversial if parents do not also speak to their child about the online risks and educate themselves, an approach strongly recommended by online privacy experts.

On the whole, the report suggested that Luxembourg respondents were adopting good online hygiene when it came to protecting their data.  

46% of respondents switched email passwords and a quarter changed their passwords on shopping websites, the second-highest rate in the EU. Luxembourg respondents were also more likely to have changed their online banking passwords than in past years.

At the same time, eight out of ten Luxembourg respondents said they avoided disclosing personal information online, the second-highest rate after France.

High exposure

Exposure to cyber crime appears high in Luxembourg where 40% of respondents reported discovering malicious software on their devices, 17% of respondents had their social network or email account hacked and 15% had been a victim of bank card or online banking fraud, the highest of all participating countries.

Analysis of the results appears to also show a reduction in fear related to cyber crime or questionable online behaviour. The proportion of respondents concerned about receiving fraudulent emails in Luxembourg fell 7 percentage points.

And the proportion of people concerned about encountering online material which promotes racial hatred or religious extremism fell by 20 percentage points. A similar decline was reported in the Netherlands, UK and Finland.

The report also found that the proportion of people who changed their social media passwords fell by 6 percentage points compared to 2018. The proportion of Luxembourg respondents who would take action if they received fraudulent emails or phone calls also rose 11% compared to 2018.