With HR tech continuing to ramp up, spurred by WFH and hybrid work models, it comes as no surprise that more attention is being paid to cybersecurity. But at what cost? A recent study indicates an increasing amount tech paranoia. The US would seem to have the greatest phobia of tech globally with almost 32,500 searches for the top 30 tech paranoias each month. Top concerns include Facebook hacking, TikTok Safety and Modern AI. The results from a recent study by MiQ Digital revealed the top tech fears from around the world.

Top tech paranoias globally 

Source: MiQ Digital—comparison of SEMRush search trend data for different countries and tech search terms

Among the top tech fears are, “Will AI replace humans?” (Brazil), “How can I stop someone tracking my mobile phone?” (China), “How to delete internet history?” (India), “How to delete Facebook search history?” (France), How to stop someone from monitoring my computer? (Spain) and “Can someone hack my phone?” (USA)

US, UK and India most technophobic countries
Of the 10 countries analysed, the US came out on top in terms of technology paranoia, with over 30,000 searches per month for the top 30 technology paranoias analysed. This is more than twice the quantity of any other country on the list. Second, comes the UK, with 13,660 searches for the top 30 fears of technology, then India at 9,360. The US, Canada and the UK share many of the same tech phobias about Facebook privacy and phone hacking. Meanwhile, the least technophobic country is Japan, with just 410 monthly searches for the top 30 fears.

Rebecca Rosborough, CMO, MiQ

“Changes to GDPR and the end of the use of personal identifiers like cookies are a huge opportunity … to rebuild some of the trust that has been lost in the digital advertising ecosystem.”

Facebook privacy biggest tech concern
Facebook fear appears to stem from what is happening with personal data and who has access to snoop into personal lives—especially with stalking and cyberbullying being key issues on social media right now. The US is the most concerned country when it comes to Facebook privacy. Over 12,000 Americans search, “How to make Facebook private” every month. Rebecca Rosborough, CMO, MiQ said, “As consumers, we all have the right to data privacy and control over how our personal data is used. Changes to GDPR and the end of the use of personal identifiers like cookies are a huge opportunity for brands and ad tech companies to rebuild some of the trust that has been lost in the digital advertising ecosystem.”

TikTok and AI concerns
People are also worried about TikTok, especially in ensuring content is appropriate for children, such concerns are largely centred in the US. Another concern is AI, based around ethics and worries that RPA might mean robots might take over jobs moving forward. The other main concern is over our increasing reliance on smart devices, the personal data they contain and how this might fall foul of hackers.