Intercountry differences in apprehension of the digitalization

Abstract

The background of the paper is the process of digitalization of economic relations and its consequences when people face different threats arising during the use of digital tools in society and the economy. The study is aimed to analyse the intercountry differences in people’s perception of digitalization. The investigation of external and internal factors that form the interregional differences in the apprehension of digitalization may help to evaluate the threats and risks of digitalization, and to develop the measures to reduce these threats. As the research methods, the authors used the general scientific methods of knowledge, systems approach, comparative analysis. As a statistical framework for the study, the results of Tufts University’s Digital Trust Index, CIGI-Ipsos Global Survey On Internet Security and Trust 2019 and Ipsos Survey For the World Economic Forum Workers’ Concerns About Job Loss and Access to New Skills 2020 were used. The results of the theoretical analysis of digitalization allowed us to identify and explore the threats to society and the economy created by the new digital world. The interregional tendencies in the apprehension of different means of digitalization are analysed. Interregional differences in the apprehension of digitalization must be considered both when planning digitalization programs and international cooperation.