While basic contact information continues to top searchers’ lists, demand for social networking profiles and photos has grown considerably over time.

Looking at the 69% of internet users who have searched for information about others online, seven in ten say they have gone online to find someone’s contact information, like an address or phone number. This proportion is essentially the same as our 2006 survey, when 72% of those who had searched for information about people in their lives said they had sought contact information.

By contrast, searches for social networking profiles have grown by 45% during that same period—from 33% in 2006 to 48% in 2009. Likewise, searches for photos of someone grew by 39%—from 31% to 43%.

While young adult internet users ages 18-29 are somewhat less likely than older users to search for basic contact information, they are significantly more likely to search for social networking profiles and photos:

• Contact information: 62% of people searchers ages 18-29 say they have searched for someone’s contact information, like an address or phone number, compared with 73% of those ages 30-49, and 74% of those ages 50-64.
• Social networking profiles: 66% of people searchers ages 18-29 say they have searched for someone’s profile on a social or professional networking site, while 51% of those ages 30-49 and 31% of those ages 50-64 say this.
• Photos: 61% of people searchers ages 18-29 say they have searched for someone’s photo online, compared with 43% of those ages 30-49 and 32% of searchers ages 50-64.

While there are no significant gender differences among those who search for contact information or social networking profiles, men are considerably more likely than women to search for photos of people online. Half of men who search for information about others online say they search for photos, while just 36% of female people searchers say they have searched for images of someone.

Internet users are now more likely to search for social networking profiles than they are to search for information about someone’s professional accomplishments or interests.

In the age of social media, it is now the case that a Facebook profile may get more traffic than your resume or your bio on your employer’s website. Over time, people searchers have become more likely to seek out social networking profiles than they are to see information about someone’s professional accomplishments or interests. While 37% of people searchers said they had sought this kind of information in 2006 (making it the second-most popular kind of search), 36% reported the same in 2009 (making it the fourth-most popular query). That compares with almost half of people searchers who say they seek out profiles online.

Once again, men are more likely than women to initiate this kind of search; 41% of men who search for information about others say they have looked for information about someone’s professional accomplishments or interests, compared with 31% of female searchers. Those who have a college degree or live in higher income households are also more likely than those with lower levels of education or income to conduct this kind of search.

Personal background information and public records interest one in four internet users who search for information about others online.

Overall, 27% of people searchers say that they have sought personal background information about someone online. That number is essentially the same as 2006, when 28% reported seeking background information about someone on the internet. Similarly, 27% say they have searched for someone else’s public records, such as real estate transactions, divorce proceedings, bankruptcies, or other legal actions. The portion who report doing this now is slightly lower than it was in the previous survey, when 31% said they had looked for someone’s public records online.

Searchers who are ages 30-64 are more likely than the youngest and oldest segments of internet users to seek out public records online. While 21% of people searchers in the 18-29 age group say they have tried to find public records about someone online, 29% of those ages 30-49 and 33% of those who are 50-64 have done so. Just 18% of searchers ages 65 and older have looked for someone’s public records online.

One in six searchers say they have gone online to find information about the relationship status of someone they know.

Sharing information about your relationship status—whether you are single or in a relationship, for example—has become a standard feature of many social networking profiles. However, this kind of information could also be gleaned from other sources, such as blogs, public records or publicly shared photos. Overall, 17% of internet users who seek information about others online have looked for relationship status information about someone. Unsurprisingly, young adults are by far the most active in seeking out relationship status information. Fully 39% of people searchers ages 18-29 have looked for someone’s relationship status online, compared with just 13% of searchers ages 30-49, 4% of those ages 50-64 and less than 1% of those ages 65 and older.

Those who use social networking sites—who also tend to be younger—are far more likely to say they have specifically searched for relationship status information. One in four (27%) social networking users who have sought information about others online say they have looked for relationship status information, compared with just 5% of non-SNS users.

Yet, for all of the people searching internet users do online, most think that it’s not fair to judge people based on the information they find.

As noted above, most internet users have searched for information about people in their lives. However, when asked if they agree or disagree with the following statement, “It’s not fair to judge people based on the information you find online,” fully 81% said they agree. Almost half (45%) say they strongly agree with that statement, while 36% said they somewhat agree with the statement. Overall, just 14% of internet users disagree, with 6% saying they strongly disagree.

Among those who search for information about others online, the results were nearly identical to those for all internet users. Overall, 83% of people searchers said they agree that it is not fair to judge others based on the information you find, while 45% strongly agree. Likewise, 13% disagree with that statement and 5% strongly disagree.

Half of internet users say it bothers them that people think it’s normal to search for information about others online.

Despite all their searching and reputation management practices, many users seem to be bothered by their own behavior. Fully 50% of internet users agree with the following statement: “It bothers me that people think it’s normal to search for information about others online.” About one in four (23%) say they strongly agree with this statement, while 27% say they somewhat agree. However, four in ten internet users (40%) disagree with this statement--13% strongly disagree, and 27% somewhat disagree.

Those who search for information about others online are less likely than non-searchers to say they are personally bothered by the practice. Yet, 47% still agree with the statement overall, with 18% of people searchers saying they strongly agree that they are bothered compared with 36% of non-searchers.

Internet users are divided about whether or not access to online information about people makes the process of getting to know them easier and more meaningful.

Half of internet users (48%) say they agree that “getting to know new people now is easier and more meaningful because you can learn things online about the people you meet.” Yet, almost as many (43%) disagree with that statement. Just 9% say they strongly agree with that statement, while 39% said they somewhat agree. Of those who disagree that getting to know new people has been made easier because of online information, 20% say they strongly disagree and 23% say they somewhat disagree.

Those who have searched for information about others online are more likely than non-searchers to think that the process of getting to know new people has become easier and more meaningful. Overall, 54% of people searchers agree that getting to know people now is easier, compared with 38% of non-searchers.