How do Europeans limit access to personal data? - More careful citizens. EU, towards digital sovereignty
New data shows that EU citizens are taking more precautions with their personal data online, as Europe tries to reclaim its digital sovereignty from big US tech companies.
In 2025, the majority of internet users in the European Union chose not to allow their personal data to be used for advertising, while 56.2% of them restricted or refused access to their geographical location, according to Eurostat.
Restricting access to social media profiles or shared online storage also became more common, with 46% of internet users taking such a step. The figure represents a five percentage point increase compared to 2023.
In addition, 39% of people checked whether the website they were providing personal data to was secure and 37.6% read privacy policy statements before sharing their personal data.
The highest percentage of internet users who took measures to protect their data was recorded in Finland (92.6%), followed by the Netherlands (91.2%) and the Czech Republic (90.3%). In contrast, the lowest percentages were recorded in Romania (56%), Slovenia (57.4%) and Bulgaria (62%).
In several cases, European organizations and regulators have taken technology companies to court for alleged misuse of citizens' personal information.
The EU and its member states appear to be stepping up efforts to stop the abuse of its digital rules and gain more digital independence. The European Commission will adopt the new Cloud and Artificial Intelligence Act, which aims to at least triple the capacity of EU data centers within the next five to seven years.
Meanwhile, at the national level, France announced that it would replace the American platforms Microsoft Teams and Zoom with its own locally developed videoconferencing platform.
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