Survey Objectives

The ICT Panel is an online survey that aims to collect information on emerging topics related to the use of ICT and the Internet by individuals 16 years old or older. 

It was created in 2020 as ICT COVID-19 Panel, which had four editions and aimed to collect information on Internet use during the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. After the end of the pandemic, the Panel began to incorporate other topics of public interest.

Survey Areas

Between 2020 and 2021, thematic modules were created to investigate aspects of Internet use related to the context of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on society. To this end, it included indicators on topics such as e-commerce, culture, online public services, telehealth, remote learning, and teleworking. 

Since then, the survey has been exploring emerging topics such as privacy and personal data protection, information integrity, and e-waste disposal.

International References

The ICT Panel includes internationally defined indicators, adopting frameworks from the multistakeholder initiative Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development, led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The main reference for the indicators is the Manual for Measuring ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals. In addition, each thematic edition adopts specific reference indicators. 

In editions focused on the pandemic context, for example, it included indicators developed in collaboration with other organizations, part of an international effort to measure Internet use in the context of the pandemic and the need for social distancing. 

The other topics investigated are based on international references and consultations with multisectoral groups of experts.

Methodology

The target population for the survey is individuals aged 16 or older who are Internet users in Brazil. The survey is conducted through an online panel, with the exception of the first three editions, which were supplemented by telephone interviews.