The UK leads global demand for user data from Big Tech, including the number of emergency requests. For years, the UK government has been seeking user data from major tech companies such as Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft, with the number of requests steadily rising. According to a report from cybersecurity company Surfshark, the UK […]

Surfshark has explored global government requests to Google, revealing trends, top-requesting countries, and reasons behind content removal Since 2020, UK’s courts and government agencies have requested Google to remove content 2.2k times, positioning UK in the 14th place globally, according to Surfshark’s study. On a global scale, governmental requests for content removal climbed to nearly […]

Our homes are our supposedly most private spaces, with the bedroom being especially personal. Although smart bedroom devices, ranging from smart pillows to window shades and blinds, offer convenience, A study from Surkshark shows they may lead to concerns about compromising user privacy. Key insights include: Analysed smart bedroom device apps collect an average of […]

Surfshark has published a study titled Smart Home Privacy Checker which looks at smart home devices and the significant privacy issues they raise. Tech giants Amazon and Google developed the most data-hungry smart home device apps. Amazon’s Alexa gathers 28 out of 32 possible data points, which is more than three times the average collected […]

In a study of 100 popular apps, research from cybersecurity company Surfshark highlights entertainment apps, particularly Spotify and SoundCloud, share data with third parties the most, while YouTube collects significant amounts of user data. Out of the 10 analysed entertainment apps, almost half track some of the data points collected across platforms. Research is aided […]

With global internet user growth beginning to stagnate, 52 out of 121 countries worldwide have poor electronic infrastructure according to Surfshark’s analysis. Countries with low e-infrastructure also tend to have very low wealth. Their average GDP per capita (€4.1k) is almost 8 times lower than in countries with good e-infrastructure (€31.1k). Other key findings include: […]

Surfshark has released its Global Internet Value Index (IVi), which uncovers countries overpaying for their Internet connection plan. The UK is in 20th place in the world with an index 96 per cent higher than the global average. Oceania and Europe lead the world in Internet value, while Internet affordability in North America, South America, […]

Surfshark has released an internet divide study, which is based on data from the annual digital wellbeing index (DQL 2022). The study reveals that people from lower-income countries have to work 3 times more than higher-income countries for 3 times slower internet. In many of these countries, the internet is so slow that not even […]