Here's Why Over One-Third Of Canadians Want To Delete Themselves From The Internet

Being online is hard to avoid for a lot of Canadians, but it seems like a lot of them are down to delete themselves completely from the internet.

A new survey conducted by VPN and cybersecurity company NordVPN has found that around one-third of Canadians would be interested in completely wiping all traces of themselves from the online world.

And it's not just for one reason.

The ever-expanding world of the internet has made some people worried on multiple fronts about the potential consequences of living online.

According to a press release from NordVPN, roughly 36% of the 1,000 people surveyed said they'd want to disappear from the online world completely. They were also asked for the reasons why they'd want to get off the internet.

One of the biggest, with 48% citing it as a concern, was the worry that their data is being used and exploited by big companies.

In a similar vein, 47% also said one of their biggest concerns was their devices getting hacked.

Other reasons cited were people just seeing no point in having their name online. Thirty-three percent of people in the survey also said they simply don't trust the internet as a whole

When asked specifically what they'd want off the web forever, 60% listed their financial information.

Meanwhile, about 38% would want unflattering photos taken down, while 33% want embarrassing moments deleted.

Bottom of mind was the desire to get rid of old dating or social media profiles (28%) or employment history (20%).

Privacy concerns are a heated topic at the moment, with Canada's own iconic restaurant chain Tim Hortons getting dinged for violating the privacy of users on its mobile app, which is something they tried to make up for by offering free coffee and donuts.

It didn't go over very well.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.