The U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office has launched its 2011 Student Brand Ambassador campaign.
Although 42% of students online in the U.K. report being concerned that personal information available about them online might affect their future employment prospects, new figures published today indicate that many students haven’t taken steps to protect themselves from the the risk of identity theft. Over three quarters (76%) haven’t checked their credit rating in the last year, and two thirds (66%) have never checked it, allowing suspicious credit applications to go unnoticed. The results are from an online survey completed by 500 students online October 14 and October 17.
The 2011 Student Brand Ambassador Campaign hopes to increase student awareness. Students at 15 universities across the UK, including Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Ulster, have been recruited to help spread the message via social media, generating local media coverage, and doing promotional work.
Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, said:
“In tough times, young people are clearly less relaxed about privacy, particularly in relation to information that they post online – but many may not know what they can do about it. The Student Brand Ambassador campaign is about arming students with the advice they need to protect themselves from obvious dangers such as identity theft and keeping their social lives private. It’s about empowering young people to take back control of their information and I hope the campaign is embraced by students at universities across the UK.”