Majority of residents of the Caribbean Netherlands sometimes doubt online information

Almost everyone aged 15 or over on Bonaire and Sint Eustatius has internet at home. On Saba, the figure is slightly lower, but 92 percent of people there still have internet at home. People on these islands use the internet frequently, usually every day.

They do so not only at home but also at work. Many people make calls over the internet or send messages. For example, they use WhatsApp, Skype or Snapchat to do this.

Many people also use social media such as Instagram, TikTok or X. This is equally common on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. Online banking is most common on Bonaire and Sint Eustatius: approximately 80 percent of people do this.

On Saba, more than 60 percent bank online. Fewer emails are also sent on Saba than on the other islands. Approximately two out of three people search online for information about products or health.

Many people sometimes question the truth of what they read online. On Bonaire and Saba, two out of three people sometimes come across information they believe is incorrect or about which they have doubts. This is slightly less common on Sint Eustatius, where the figure is just over half.

People particularly often question posts on social media. Doubts arise less frequently on news websites. More than three-quarters of people sometimes check whether information on the internet is accurate.

They do this by checking sources, looking for reliable websites or talking to others. People do this more often on Sint Eustatius than on Bonaire. Approximately 30 percent of people sometimes check whether a website is secure, for example by checking whether the web address begins with https.

This happens equally often on all three islands.