On the occasion of Safer Internet Day celebrated on 9th February 2021 globally, OLX studied the behaviour of 6,000 Indian Internet users across cities to understand the state of awareness and cyber safety preparedness and thereby raising the need towards creating a safer and inclusive internet for everyone.

The survey reveals that owing to the pandemic, internet usage across Indian households has spiked by 50 per cent and has also fostered awareness about cyber frauds across 61 per cent of Indian households. Interestingly, the focus on right to privacy in public discourse has prompted 81 per cent of Indian Internet users to stop using or considering not using certain apps due to privacy or data-sharing concerns. When it comes to tackling misinformation, 45 per cent of users responded that they now verify any news or information shared online - a welcome sign of increased awareness among internet users.

The third edition of the annual report titled 'OLX 2021 Safer Internet Day Study' is an initiative by OLX to foster awareness around making the internet a better place for everyone. Of the 6000 responses, 73 per cent were millennials between the age groups of 18-37 while 23 per cent were non-millennials above the age of 37. 53 per cent of the respondents were from metro cities(Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata) while 47 per cent of respondents were from non-metro cities across India.

Lavanya Chandan, Director, OLX India said, "The pandemic has accelerated the penetration of internet-based services and has consequently had a profound impact on the level of comfort people have with the use of the internet. Our study shows a remarkable shift in online behaviour among Indian internet users which has resulted from an increased sensitization, and this has prompted the adoption of basic tools to address concerns around privacy and safety. At OLX, it has been our continuous endeavour to advocate the cause of cyber safety into the mainstream consciousness and provide netizens with the right tools to safeguard their online presence."