Ofcom said 77 per cent of children are unaware that they are downloading copyrighted material from file-sharing websites and of those 50 per cent believe that downloading should be free anyway.

The report also showed that surfers are concerned about identity fraud on the internet with anxiety about personal information being used without consent rising by 15 per cent since 2005.

However, the research also revealed that more people are now happy to provide websites with personal data such as credit or debit card information than in 2005.

"Research suggests that people may be making more informed decisions about a website before entering their personal details," Ofcom said in a statement.

Ofcom's research shows that the vast majority of surfers do make judgements about the merits of a website before entering personal details. Yet 11 per cent of surfers do not, with 16- to 24-year-olds being the least judicious.

Ofcom also noticed a significant move to install restrictions on television viewing for children, with 31 per cent of households with kids aged from eight to 11 using a PIN or password on multi-channel television.

This is contrasted with a decline in households with internet access using parental control software to safeguard their childrens' surfing. The report found that "four in five parents who have not set controls have not done so because they trust their child to be responsible".

www.ofcom.com

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