With the start of the year-end shopping season, theConsumer Expectations Report 2024, newly released by Appdome, the single counter for mobile app defense, points to a promising scenario for online commerce. According to the study, 84,5% of Brazilians use mobile apps to make their purchases, number that exceeds the global average by 53%. However, this increase in the use of apps is accompanied by a growing concern about data security, especially considering that almost half of the population has already suffered or knows someone who has been a victim of cyber attacks, according to the investigation
This year marked the third consecutive survey in which Brazilian consumers reported using mobile apps more than websites for purchases and other transactions. The growth difference between mobile apps and online sites has increased at a pace similar to that of the previous three years, making it unquestionable that mobile apps have replaced traditional websites as the most used part of consumers' daily activities in Brazil
Furthermore, Brazilians are using more mobile apps daily, with a greater growth in relation to the number of apps: 21,5% of Brazilians use from 11 to 20 per day, and 13,9% use more than 20, numbers 24,1% and 73,3% higher than the global standard, respectively. The use of fewer than 5 apps per day has decreased significantly. The data indicates a growing trend in the number of mobile applications used daily by Brazilians, with consistent growth year after year, especially with a larger number of apps. 51,3% of Brazilians also reported spending more time on apps, 17,7% above the global average
Tom Tovar, CEO and Co-founder of Appdome explains that the massive increase in the use of mobile apps in Brazil highlights the urgent need for brands to intensify cybersecurity to protect their users. "The behavior of Brazilian consumers with such a high percentage of users using many apps daily", raises the level of risk of attacks, "because each new installed application can be a potential gateway for threats" emphasizes
Social media and dating apps ranked first among the most used, with 56,9%. Banking apps, investments and digital wallets are also at the top of the list, with 47,9% and 42,4% of Brazilians stating that they use these apps more frequently. Food delivery apps and mobile games and betting also recorded significant gains, with 41,2% and 34,1%, respectively
Security and the protection of sensitive data
When asked to Brazilian consumers what their biggest fears were when using mobile apps, the invasion and mobile fraud topped the list with 61,3% і 54,5%, respectively. Data breaches remained stable at 29,9%. In the expectation of having their data protected, 96,7% of Brazilian consumers stated that they seek information about the security and privacy of apps before using them, a substantially larger number than that of global consumers
One in every two respondents report that they have been victims of social engineering scams, and 48,9% were targeted in a cyber attack, mobile malware or mobile fraud, exceeding the global average by 60,7% and 15%, respectively. У світлі цього, 52,1% of consumers in Brazil said that mobile apps that collect, those who use and share personal data must maintain the highest levels of security and privacy protection, a rise of 7,1% compared to 2022
Finally, 78,7% reaffirmed that they abandoned mobile apps that did not protect their data or their usage, number very close to those who stated that they stopped using a mobile app that had suffered a breach.This data reinforces the growing awareness among users about the importance of data protection and digital privacy, that is to say, the trust of users is directly linked to a company's ability to protect sensitive information and a data breach can result in significant impacts for brands both in reputation and customer retention. In a scenario where cybersecurity is a priority, companies that do not invest adequately in this area run the risk of losing their user base quickly."concluded Tovar
