More Australians going online for work, telehealth and keeping in touch

The latest research conducted by the ACMA provides a snapshot of Australians’ changing online behaviour and technology use.

The report, Trends in online behaviour and technology usage, presents data from our annual consumer survey of Australian adults, conducted in June 2020.

It shows that the digital landscape has become central to the lives of more Australians than ever before, with 99% indicating that they used the internet in the previous 6 months, up from 90% in 2019.

The data also provides a picture of how COVID-19 restrictions introduced in March 2020 have impacted on participation in online activities.

Four in 5 Australian adults started or increased their participation for both telehealth consultations (84%) and video conferencing/calling (82%). Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Australian adults worked online at home since March 2020.

Engagement with social networking increased in 2020, with 72% of Australians using a social networking app in the previous 6 months, compared to 63% in 2019.

Facebook remains the dominant social networking platform, with 93% of social networking app users indicating that they had used it in the previous 6 months, compared to 73% for YouTube and 57% for Instagram.

Additional findings from the ACMA’s annual consumer survey will be released later this year as part of a broader program of research.

The ACMA research program gathers evidence that informs our decisions as a regulator, and ensures we are up-to-date on market developments and consumer trends.

/Public Release. View in full here.