Millions of UK adults do not know how to remove personal data from devices

Phones, tablets and laptops all contain extremely personal data about our finances, work and lives. Yet, according to new research published by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), close to one in three (29%) adults in the UK have no idea how to wipe all personal data from old devices.

During the holiday season, when new tech is being gifted around the country, it is likely that many people will discard outdated devices that still contain sensitive information.

“Erasing your personal information from an old device does not need to be difficult, and it means that your data can not be accessed by anybody else, either by mistake or for malicious purposes such as fraud. For example, a factory reset via the settings can adequately erase your personal information from most mobile phones,” said Suzanne Gordon, Director of Public Advice and Data Protection Complaints at the ICO.

The average person in the UK has three devices they no longer use lying around the house, with 20% of people saying the reason they have kept these old devices is due to concerns around their personal information. Perhaps surprisingly, younger and digital native people are most likely to not delete all personal data from their devices.

While just 4% of people over 55 years of age say they do not wipe their tech, 14% of people aged between 18 and 34 admit to leaving personal data on devices. A massive trove of more than 800 million used and old electronic devices are sat in homes in the UK, said Scott Butler, Executive Director at Recycle Your Electricals.

“One of the benefits of taking the time to delete your data, means that you might be able to safely sell some of your tech and electricals and make a bit of cash after Christmas. Just make sure that you follow Recycle Your Electricals guidance to destroy any data on your devices,” said Butler.

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