Consumer efforts to protect personal data and remain "invisible" online is leading to a "data blackhole" that could adversely impact digital advertisers, technology research firm Ovum said on Thursday.

The move to seek "new tools that allow them to remain 'invisible' -- untraceable and impossible to target by data means" will impact advertisers who rely on that information to target their audiences, Ovum said

Surveying consumers in 11 countries around the world, the research firm said 68 per cent of respondents said they would select a "do not track" feature if this was easily available."

This hardening of consumer attitudes, coupled with tightening regulation, could diminish personal data supply lines and have considerable impact on targeted advertising, customer relationship management, big data analytics and other digital industries," the London-based firm said in a statement.

Mark Little, a principal analyst at Ovum, said Internet users were increasingly getting more access to new tools to "monitor, control and secure their personal data as never before."

The recent scandal involving privacy breaches by mobile messaging service WhatsApp and lingering concerns over data use policies on Facebook and Google are prompting Internet users to be more guarded, Ovum added.