Cybersecurity statistics | Feb 4,  2025

According to Surfshark’s research, the number of breached accounts increased nearly 8 times last year, from approximately 730 million in 2023 to more than 5.5 billion in 2024.

Global data breach statistics: a 2024 recap

Cybersecurity statistics | Jan 30,  2024

According to Surfshark’s research, the number of breached accounts decreased by 18%, from 366.7M in 2022 to 299.8M in 2023.

Global data breach statistics: 2023 recap

Cybersecurity statistics | Jan 18,  2023

Comparing global trends in data breach statistics from 2021 and 2022.

Data breach statistics: 2021 vs. 2022

Cybersecurity statistics | Dec 20,  2021

Find out which countries had the most breached users online in 2021.

Global data breaches: regions most affected in 2021

Digital privacy | Jul 1,  2025

Analysis uncovered what data 10 major car brand apps collect, with Mercedes-Benz’s app leading by gathering 17 different types of user and vehicle data.

Car apps: the hidden data exchange

Digital privacy | Jun 19,  2025

All analyzed popular dating apps collect your location, name, phone number, photos or videos, user and device IDs, purchase history, and other sensitive information.

Grindr and Bumble top the list of the most data-hungry dating apps

Digital privacy | Jun 10,  2025

Google Maps is the most data-hungry navigation app, collecting 24 types of data, such as user identity, contacts,  photos, audio data, and more. Waze and Maps.me have similar practices, gathering almost as much data.

Navigation apps track more than your route

Dystopian new tech | Jun 3,  2025

Surfshark’s research analyzes the energy consumption of AI chatbots. It shows that just 26 ChatGPT queries could microwave a meal.

The Energy Cost of Chatbots: 26 Queries = A Warm Lunch

Digital privacy | May 27,  2025

The most popular social media platforms fined nearly €4 billion for GDPR breaches, out of which more than €1 billion was for inadequate protection of children’s data.

GDPR fines for mishandling children’s data exceed €1 billion

Digital privacy | May 22,  2025

Surfshark analyzed the data collection practices of popular AI chatbots available, from Meta AI to Google Gemini, DeepSeek, ChatGPT, and others. Study shows that 45% of AI chatbots collect user location.

Meta AI just beat Gemini as the most data-hungry chatbot

Digital privacy | May 20,  2025

Surfshark's study shows half of the analyzed astrology apps track users' data. Nebula is the most data-hungry astrology app.

Do astrology apps know where your data goes?

Digital privacy | May 6,  2025

Chrome mobile browser collects 20 data types across numerous categories, such as contact info, financial details, location, browsing history, and more. The Bing app is the second most data-hungry mobile browser, collecting 12 data types.

Data-hungry browsers: the choice of 90% of users worldwide?

Digital freedom | Apr 29,  2025

Trust in the media is lowest in countries where media freedom is the highest. Public trust in media stands at 39% in free media countries, compared to 41% in partly free countries and 45% in not free countries.

Media freedom vs. trust: a global paradox

Dystopian new tech | Apr 22,  2025

Big Tech used over 41 million cubic meters of water in 2023, or about 112,500 cubic meters per day — enough to fill 45 Olympic pools daily. That’s an over 60% increase from 2020.

Big Tech's water usage has risen by 60% since 2020 

Cybersecurity statistics | Apr 8,  2025

Email emerged as the leading contact method for Australian scams in 2024. Since 2020, nearly 300 million dollars have been reported lost to scams where email was the contact method.

Email scams boom in Australia: $300M lost this decade

Cyberthreats | Mar 25,  2025

What cybersecurity threats might you face when traveling? Cybersecurity expert Miguel Fornés reviewed the travel and tourism sector and discussed cybersecurity threats that may occur during your holidays.

Traveling soon? Protect your data from cybersecurity threats

Cybersecurity statistics | Mar 18,  2025

Surfshark's analysis shows that in 2024, over 80% of U.S. healthcare data breaches were due to hacking/IT incidents. These breaches disrupt care, endanger patient safety, and highlight the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity.

Healthcare cybersecurity challenges

Cybersecurity statistics | Mar 12,  2025

In January 2025, the number of attacks reached 590, nearly 5 times more than January 2022 and 34% higher than the 2024 monthly average of 440.

Record number of ransomware attacks in January 2025

Digital privacy | Mar 4,  2025

Surfshark’s analysis of the 10 most popular cleaner apps on the Apple App Store shows all of them share data with third parties, such as location, purchase history, product interaction, and other.

Do phone cleaner apps help declutter your digital space?

Digital privacy | Feb 24,  2025

Oversharing online exposes personal details to permanent risk, as once-shared information can be hard to erase. The "right to be forgotten" offers a way to delist personal data from search engines.

Overshared online? How the “right to be forgotten” can help

Digital privacy | Feb 11,  2025

As AI grows, digital companions help with loneliness but raise questions about user data privacy. Many seek virtual relationships, but it's important to remember they are business-driven, not personal bonds.

AI companion apps “love” your personal data

Digital privacy | Jan 14,  2025

Surfshark’s analysis of 15 popular weight control apps reveals that 33% of them surpass averages in both data collection and user tracking practices.

Over 90% of analyzed weight control apps track their users

Digital privacy | Jan 7,  2025

Surfshark’s analysis of 15 popular fitness apps reveals that they collect an average of 12 different types of data, including sensitive information and precise location.

80% of top fitness apps share user data with third parties

Digital privacy | Dec 16,  2024

Discover if you're truly private in your own bedroom. Surfshark explores the privacy policies of apps for smart bedroom devices, ranging from smart pillows to window shades and blinds.

Sleep well! Can you do that in your smart bedroom?

Digital privacy | Dec 9,  2024

The most popular holiday season mobile games on the App Store collect an average of 7 unique data points, as defined by Apple. Free festive season apps share 5x more data with third parties than paid apps.

How much data do holiday season mobile games collect?

Cybersecurity statistics | Nov 26,  2024

The collected data reveals approximately 5.7 million payment card data points compromised worldwide since 2004. The US has the highest breached payment card details rate among major economies.

Stay safe: guard your payment cards this holiday season

Cyberthreats | Oct 29,  2024

Alaska tops the US in cybercrime complaints per 100,000 internet users, with 500+ complaints — over twice the national average

Alaska leads US states in the rate of cybercrime complaints

Digital privacy | Sep 10,  2024

The GDPR was expected to change invasive data collection practices because of the high fines. Since May 2018, 2,433 fines have been registered on the GDPR Enforcement Tracker, amounting to over 4.6 billion euros in total.

GDPR fines: can they shift data collection practices?

Cyberthreats | Sep 3,  2024

The European Repository of Cyber Incidents tracks major cyber incidents across Europe and beyond. In this week’s chart, Surfshark’s research hub looks at cyber incidents targeted at France since 2023.

Most cyber incidents in France have unidentified origins

L'European Repository of Cyber Incidents suit les principales cyberattaques en Europe et au-delà. Dans ce graphique de la semaine, le Research Hub de Surfshark examine les cyberincidents qui ont ciblé la France depuis 2023.

La plupart des cyber incidents en France ont des origines non identifiées

Digital privacy | Aug 27,  2024

Surfshark’s study reveals that outdoor security camera apps are major data collectors, highlighting the risks of hacking and data leaks.

Is privacy an illusion under a security camera’s watch?

Digital freedom | Jul 23,  2024

In the first half of 2024, 9 countries witnessed internet restrictions, according to Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker. India took the lead, followed by Pakistan and Senegal.

21 internet restrictions recorded in the first half of 2024

Dystopian new tech | Jun 17,  2024

Surfshark’s research shows that over a fifth of all AI incidents are related to elections. Over the last year, Donald Trump was involved in 3x more AI incidents than Joe Biden.

One in five AI incidents relates to elections

Digital divide | May 13,  2024

To mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day, our research hub explores the staggering 17% internet usage gap among EU residents with limited accessibility and the implications of the digital divide.

EU’s internet usage gap in people with limited accessibility

Cyberthreats | Mar 26,  2024

117 malware types and over 9,000 unique threats were recorded by Surfshark Antivirus. Viruses dominate, accounting for 42% of all detected threats. 

Surfshark Antivirus: which cyberthreats are the most common?

Dystopian new tech | Mar 19,  2024

Surfshark has assessed 12 widely used messaging apps to determine their quantum security status, identifying only two that would be capable of withstanding quantum hacking attempts.

Quantum security in popular messaging apps

Digital divide | Mar 14,  2024

한국은 지난 7년 동안 모바일 쇼핑이 3배 이상 증가하면서 온라인 쇼핑이 성장했습니다. 식품 관련 지출이 가장 높았고, 여행과 전자 쿠폰 지출이 가장 많이 증가했습니다.

한국의 모바일 쇼핑 지출 3배 증가

Digital divide | Mar 12,  2024

South Korea saw growth in online shopping in the last 7 years due to a more than 3x increase in mobile shopping. The highest spending was related to food, while travel and e-coupon spending grew the most.

Mobile shopping spending increased 3x in South Korea

Digital divide | Mar 5,  2024

Celebrate International Women's Day with our latest study, which reveals surprising dynamics: despite varying levels of gender equality, women are leading the way in science and technology in most EU countries.

Women dominate science and tech sectors in most of the EU

Cyberthreats | Feb 27,  2024

Surfshark looks at data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and reveals how much crypto has been lost to fraud in 2023 and what types of scams people should watch out for.

Americans lost $1.56B in crypto to fraud in 2023

Cyberthreats | Feb 20,  2024

Americans have lost $737M to fake job offers. Surfshark takes a detailed look at the statistics and advises how to spot employment scams.

$737M lost to fake job offers in the US since 2019

Cybersecurity statistics | Feb 20,  2024

80k Facebook users had their details leaked. Check out Surfshark’s chart of the week to learn which countries were affected the most and what the dangers of this leak are.

Data of almost 80k Facebook users leaked

Digital privacy | Feb 13,  2024

On average, adult toy apps request 22 permissions. Among these, the investigated apps require 13 different types of permissions deemed as dangerous, including reading external storage, recording audio, precise location tracking, and more.

Dangerous permissions in adult toy apps

Cyberthreats | Feb 6,  2024

To mark Safer Internet Day, this study connects the Children's Online Safety Index with the Digital Quality of Life and the KidsRights Indexes, examining their influence on children's global online safety.

High digital life quality doesn't always shield kids online

Dystopian new tech | Jan 23,  2024

Surfshark’s research shows 2023 had the largest number of AI incidents so far. OpenAI and Microsoft led in the number of AI incidents.

2023 was a record year for AI incidents 

Cyberthreats | Jan 16,  2024

In the advancing digital era, credit card fraud has emerged as a predominant financial threat in the US. Discover the evolving trends from 2020 to 2023 with Surfshark's Chart of the Week.

Credit card fraud: leading issue in US identity theft

Digital freedom | Jan 9,  2024

In 2024, 90 countries will hold elections. In some of them, governments may tighten control over the web. Learn more in Surfshark’s Chart of the Week.

How common are internet restrictions during elections?

Cybersecurity statistics | Jan 2,  2024

Dive into the cybersecurity landscape of 2023 with our discoveries. Read about doubled crypto scam losses and navigate global data breach trends. Explore password leaks and companies affected by AI incidents.

2023 cybersecurity wrapped: from crypto scams to AI risks

Digital freedom | Dec 27,  2023

In terms of digital freedom, 2023 had its ups and downs. Surfshark's Research Hub is here to guide you through it — let's take a moment and review what happened in 2023. 

Digital freedom wrapped: here’s what happened in 2023

Digital privacy | Dec 19,  2023

Unveil the data privacy practices of trending Christmas tech gifts. From smartwatches to gaming devices, Surfshark's study delves into the often-overlooked privacy policies of accompanying apps.

Holiday tech gifts: how data-hungry are they?

Cybersecurity statistics | Dec 12,  2023

Since 2020, data breaches in the retail sector have impacted 280M accounts worldwide. A Surfshark study reveals the biggest retail breaches and identifies the countries that were affected the most.

Holiday shopping alert: retail breaches exposed

Cyberthreats | Dec 5,  2023

Since 2019, 1.7M Online Shopping Fraud cases have been reported in the US. Roughly half of the Online Shopping Fraud victims encountered financial losses, totaling $1.45B.

$1.45B lost over Online Shopping Fraud in 5 years

Digital freedom | Nov 28,  2023

50 countries have restricted access to social media platforms amid political turmoil. Some restrictions have lasted for 14 years. Find out more in Surfshark’s chart of the week.

Global social media restrictions by duration

Digital privacy | Nov 21,  2023

How compliant with the GDPR is Meta’s new paid subscription model? Is it legal to ask users to pay for their privacy? Surfshark’s Head of Legal provides insights into this.

Meta’s paid subscription — is it GDPR compliant?

Digital privacy | Nov 14,  2023

Anonymity is the basis of cryptocurrency, but how anonymous are the apps that you use to manage your crypto assets? Surfshark reveals how much data the 15 most popular cryptocurrency apps collect.

How much do crypto apps know about you?

Digital privacy | Nov 7,  2023

The most popular social media platforms fined over €2.9 billion for GDPR breaches, out of which €765 million was for inadequate protection of children’s data.

⅓ of social media's GDPR fines linked to children

Digital divide | Oct 30,  2023

Surfshark’s Digital Quality of Life Index evaluates countries’ digital wellbeing based on 5 core pillars. This week, Surfshark examines the top 10 countries in the Index and uncovers their key weaknesses

Shortcomings in countries with best digital quality of life

Digital privacy | Oct 24,  2023

Democratic countries tend to have good data protection laws, such as the GDPR. Unfortunately, in 98% of autocratic countries, data protection levels are lower than average.

Data protection levels in democracies and autocracies

Cybersecurity statistics | Oct 17,  2023

Social engineering scams compromise the online security of millions and result in substantial financial losses. Surfshark's analysis unveils key insights into social engineering scams in the US.

Unmasking 2022's US social engineering scam toll

Digital divide | Oct 10,  2023

In lower-income countries, people work up to 4 times more than people in wealthier countries. Moreover, poor countries have, on average, a 3 times slower internet connection.

Global internet divide in 2023

Digital divide | Oct 3,  2023

As the global growth of internet users begins to stagnate, Surfshark takes a look at the level of e-infrastructure in 121 countries, revealing that 43% of countries are left behind.

43% of countries are left behind in e-infrastructure

Digital privacy | Sep 26,  2023

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the top three domains from which Europeans most frequently have their pages delisted from Google Search results via the “right to be forgotten” privacy law.

Facebook pages are the most delisted from Google Search

Digital privacy | Sep 19,  2023

The recent Duolingo data breach impacted 2.68M users worldwide. Surfshark's analysis reveals which of the most popular language learning apps collect an extensive amount of your personal data.

Data-hungry language apps: who learns more, you or the app?

Digital freedom | Sep 12,  2023

Since 2015, twenty African countries have restricted the internet during elections. Surfshark’s chart of the week reveals the countries responsible for this and elections to look out for in the coming months.

Internet restrictions during African elections

Cybersecurity statistics | Sep 5,  2023

Globally, 9.5B passwords have been leaked with email addresses since 2004. North America leads with 3 passwords leaked per email address.

North Americans are the most affected by password leaks

Digital divide | Aug 29,  2023

With the upcoming Digital Quality of Life Index 2023, Surfshark takes a look at the top countries in the index for the past 3 years.

Top countries in digital quality of life in the past 3 years

Cybersecurity statistics | Aug 29,  2023

2.7M Duolingo users’ emails were leaked and are now sold online. The US was the most affected country by the Duolingo data leak, with almost 1 million accounts compromised.

US was hit the hardest by the Duolingo data leak

Digital privacy | Aug 22,  2023

Surfshark’s chart of the week shows an average smartphone user might generate up to 188 digital footprints each day using just nine apps.

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