KUALA LUMPUR – The romance of Valentine’s Day may not last, given that online stalking and abuse are growing concerns, according to Malaysian respondents in a survey.
Almost half of the local respondents (46%) polled by global cybersecurity and digital privacy company Kaspersky said they had experienced some form of online stalking from a person they were newly dating.
The survey also found that almost half (47%) of Malaysian respondents believe that Googling or checking the social media accounts of a person they started dating as a form of due diligence is acceptable, while another 42% admitted to doing so when they started dating someone.
Malaysia was one of 21 countries in the survey conducted by Arlington Research. Each country had 1,000 respondents aged 16 years and above, who were polled between January 3 and 17, Kaspersky said in a statement on its findings released today, in conjunction with Valentine’s Day.
It said the findings showed that while keen to find love, digital users are also worried about the various forms of abuse that occur online.
“People are still vulnerable to an alarming rise in stalking and abuse this Valentine’s day from risks posed by location settings, data privacy and more broadly, oversharing.
Out of those interviewed in Malaysia, 19% said that they had been sent unwanted emails or messages while another 18% had been filmed or photographed without their consent and a further 17% admitted that their location had been tracked.
56% were also willing to share passwords that could potentially allow their location to be accessed.
“A total of 15% (of Malaysian respondents) had their social media accounts or emails hacked and worryingly, 13% had stalkerware installed on their devices without their consent,” the statement said.
The survey also recorded that well over a third (42%) of Malaysian respondents reported some form of violence or abuse from a current or previous partner.
Besides that, it was found that proportionally, more female respondents (43%) had experienced some form of violence or abuse compared to male respondents (42%), with those in a long-term relationships (17%) confirming having experienced violence or abuse.
While nearly half of the Malaysian respondents (44%) also expressed worry over the prospect of being stalked online, 42% of respondents in India, Mexico (38%) and Argentina (36%) also reported experience of some form of online stalking.
Besides providing tips on the company’s website for safe dating online, Kaspersky reminded those in the dating game to ensure they use complex and unique passwords and never to share them; to always check a person or claim if they sound too good to be true; and to think first before sharing personal information, among other steps.
“The internet has a long memory and sharing too much, too soon, can leave you vulnerable,” it said. – February 14, 2024