Although the number of internet users who worry about their online information is similar in size to the segment that takes steps to limit access to personal data, the two groups do not neatly overlap. For many internet users, concerns about online personal information do not translate into action. Among internet users who worry about their personal information, just over half (54%) say they take steps to limit the amount of personal information that is available about them.

By comparing the intersection of these two questions (worrying about the amount of one’s personal information available online, and whether or not an individual takes steps to limit his or her online personal information) four mutually exclusive groups can be created. Online adults can be divided into four categories based on their level of concern about their online information and whether or not they take steps to limit their online footprint:

• Confident Creatives are the smallest of the four groups, comprising 17% of online adults. They say they do not worry about the availability of their online data, and actively upload content, but still take steps to limit their personal information.
• The Concerned and Careful fret about the personal information available about them online and take steps to proactively limit their own online data. One in five online adults (21%) fall into this category.
• Despite being anxious about how much information is available about them, members of the Worried by the Wayside group do not actively limit their online information. This group contains 18% of online adults.
• The Unfazed and Inactive group is the largest of the four groups—43% of online adults fall into this category. They neither worry about their personal information nor limit the amount of information that can be found out about them online.

These four groups are further differentiated by several factors, including their tendency to search for information about themselves and others online, the amount of personal information available about them online, their participation in online content creation activities such as social networking or blogging, and demographic and other behavioral factors. In general, individuals who limit their online personal information (the Concerned and Careful and the Confident Creatives) are most similar to each other, while the Worried by the Wayside and Unfazed and Inactive groups also have a substantial amount of overlap. The demographic and behavioral characteristics of these groups are discussed in more detail below.