auDA is pleased to present the Digital Lives of Australians 2024 research report. It marks the fourth report in auDA's annual Digital Lives of Australians study, which began in 2021. Through the research, we seek to gain an in-depth understanding of the online challenges and opportunities Australian consumers and small businesses face, to support improvements to economic and social outcomes for Australians through the internet.
The 2024 study surveyed 1,500 consumers and 400 small businesses on how they value and use the internet. A qualitative online discussion forum and in-depth interviews were also conducted with selected participants.
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Below are a snapshot of the report's key findings:
Value of the internet
- 99% of Australian consumers and small businesses feel the internet adds at least some value to their lives
- 97% of Australian consumers feel the internet has a positive impact on their lives
- Key benefits of the internet for consumers:
- Information and learning
- Access to goods and services
- Connection with others
- 88% of working Australians rely on the internet to perform their job1
- 78% of small businesses would struggle to function without the internet
- The internet is most valuable to small businesses for:
- Customer interactions
- Promoting the business
- Task and process efficiency
- Working remotely
Cyber security
- 64% of consumers and 55% of small businesses avoid online activity due to concerns about data security
- 43% of consumers and 40% of small businesses would like to strengthen their online security but are unsure how
- 48% of consumers and 35% of small businesses do not know where to report a data security breach
- Australians have high expectations of companies with access to their data
- 83% of consumers and 79% of small businesses believe companies should be doing more to protect the personal information of customers from cyber attack
- 81% of consumers and 74% of small businesses feel failure to protect the personal information of customers should result in penalties
Emerging technologies
- Interest in AI is building
- 48% of consumers and 53% of small businesses would like to learn more about AI and how it could benefit them
- 39% of working age Australians believe being able to use AI tools will increase their employment prospects
- 48% of small businesses believe being able to use AI tools will increase business efficiency
- 61% of consumers and 67% of small businesses would feel more comfortable about AI if there were stronger regulatory safeguards around it
Digital Skills
- Cyber security is the area with the greatest digital skills gap
- 62% of consumers and 77% of small businesses consider cyber security skills the most important digital skill for their future
- Yet only 13% of consumers and 24% of small businesses feel they currently have high capability with cyber security skills
Download the full auDA Digital Lives of Australians 2024 report:
For trusted resources and to learn more about cyber security, visit:
- cyber.gov.au – access best practice cyber security guides and alerts on cyber threats
- scamwatch.gov.au – learn how to recognise, avoid and report scams
- oaic.gov.au – learn about privacy legislation, your privacy rights and access guides for businesses
- idcare.org – victims of cybercrime can access free support for identity theft and other online crimes
- esafety.gov.au – access eSafety resources on scams, misinformation and more.
1 Either could not do their job without it, or feel it makes their job easier or better
