Two thirds of German internet users avoid using websites and online services if they ask for personal information, according to research by Bitkom.
Germans are reluctant to divulge their name, date of birth or email address online, due to fears that companies will misuse their data.
Almost 90% of Germans who avoided using online services such as social networks said the reason they did so was because they were afraid the sites would share their data with third-parties.
The majority of social media users also said that they had changed their privacy settings to be stricter.
Furthermore, around 80% of German internet users worry about being monitored online, want to avoid adverts, and consider websites to be untrustworthy.Â
