(Redmond, WA, Tuesday, February 11, 2020) — Today, on Safer Internet Day 2020, Microsoft announced that its Digital Civility Index, a measure of the tone and tenor of online interactions, currently stands at 70% – the worst since the survey began in 2016.

The results were published in Microsoft’s 2019 “Civility, Safety and Interactions Online”, a survey which gauged teen’s’ and adults’ perceptions about online life and their exposure to reputational, behavioral, sexual and personal/intrusive risk factors.

This year’s survey also found that:

• Physical appearance and politics continue to be the primary drivers of online incivility
• Trends of emotional and psychological pain and resulting negative consequences both increased significantly
• The majority of online incivility takes place on social media sites
• Online risks such as unwanted sexual attention, solicitation and unwanted contact were reported more frequently than in previous years

With these results in mind, the company is re-affirming its commitment to improving online civility moving into the 2020s. For the first Safer Internet Day of the new decade, the company continues to highlight its Digital Civility Challenge to encourage safer, healthier and more respectful online interactions. For more information on the Digital Civility Index and Safer Internet Day, go to: The Microsoft Blog.