More than a quarter of Internet users worldwide say they have used ad blocking software on their personal computer in the past month, according to a recent report from GlobalWebIndex.

The report was based on data from an ongoing survey of thousands of Internet users around the world age 16-64.

Some 28% of Internet users in North America say they have used services to prevent ads from displaying on websites in the last month; this compares with 30% of Internet users in Europe, 27% in Latin America, 27% in the Middle East and Africa, and 27% in the Asia/Pacific region.

Ad blockers are most popular with respondents age 16 to 24 (34% have used a program in the last month) and least popular with respondents age 55 to 64 (17% have used).

Men are more likely to use ad blocking programs compared with women (31% vs. 23%).

More than two-thirds (69%) of respondents who employ ad blocking software say they worry about how their personal data is being used by companies.

About the research: The report was based on data from an ongoing survey of thousands of Internet users around the world age 16-64.