In a Nutshell, Online Dating Is Dangerous for 38% of U.S. Residents. UU., S. Research shows that 30 states have a lower than average hazard score.
But, with the ease of dating websites and apps, some new issues arise, particularly in the form of security. For example, interacting with strangers online can put you at risk for identity theft, online harassment, stalking, digital dating abuse, catfishing and other scams. And, if you decide to meet up in real life (IRL) with someone you met on a dating app, you should also ensure your physical safety. Your Gateway to Our Best Protection.
Access our best apps, features and technologies with a single account. Get antivirus, anti-ransomware, privacy tools, data leak detection, home Wi-Fi monitoring, and more. Digital technology, especially smart devices, have transformed many aspects of our society, including the way people meet and establish relationships, romantic or otherwise. The way we conduct our relationships is changing, and it's clear that technology has a key role to play in this change.
People now not only turn to their devices to work, shop and play, but also to manage their personal lives and relationships. Online dating provides users with the ideal place to meet people who have similar likes, dislikes and character traits to them. It improves the chances that a user will like the person they are going to meet on a date (because they can search for people who meet certain criteria), and, if you think online dating services themselves, an increasing number of people are also finding lasting and meaningful relationships. online.
Considering all of this, it's perhaps no surprise that our study found that up to 32% of Internet users are dating online. Is the Profile Crucial to Successful Online Dating? Yes. But is the profile information secure?. We found that a worrying number of online dating users are, through their profiles, placing sensitive information about themselves in the public domain, which could lead to damage if the information fell into the wrong hands.
We found that vulnerable people, such as the unemployed, and single women, tend to worry more about meeting “people with bad intentions” through their online dating activities. Meanwhile, older age groups have slightly different concerns. When it comes to occupations, business owners (19%) were the most likely to have infected their device with malware or ransomware, while entrepreneurs or self-employed daters were more likely to have met someone who wasn't who they said they were. Online daters also tend to engage in a higher proportion of other Internet activities, making them particularly vulnerable to the dangers of the online world, as well as the “usual” risks of dating people they don't know or trust.
This is perhaps one of the reasons why people who use online dating websites are twice as likely to experience an IT security incident as people who don't (41% compared to 20%). So why do people who date online experience more IT security issues than people who don't? An obvious answer already addressed is the fact that people involved in online dating spend a lot of time online, and therefore naturally they could find themselves in more danger than people who don't. However, the study also shows that people don't adequately protect themselves when they're dating online. As for the protection methods people implement, only 36% use strong passwords to keep their information safe and only 27% use a security solution to help, leaving most at risk.
It's worrying that 16% don't do anything to protect themselves, because they don't see the risk. Despite not doing much to help themselves, 55% say strong security and privacy practices are important to them when choosing an online dating website, service or app, and only 12% don't know what the security and privacy practices are. So, there is an awareness and a certain level of concern for the dangers involved in online dating. This just needs to translate into action.
Needless to say, our study has found that people who participate in online dating, are likely to share sensitive information with people they don't know, or have just met. In addition, they share this data quickly. They are also at increased risk of experiencing an IT security-related issue, such as having their data leaked or otherwise exposed. However, they do little to protect themselves, as only one in three establishes basic security measures, such as using strong passwords or simply sharing limited information about themselves online.
However, most safety tips place the responsibility firmly on the user. The NCA recommends that individuals follow the dating safety policy set by Get Safe Online, which includes being cautious with personal data, and always meeting in public. And for most people, the NCA notes, online dating is safe. There are substantial gender differences in the amount of attention online daters say they received on dating sites or apps.
Smaller but still substantial actions of online daters believe people create fake accounts to scam others (50%) or people who receive sexually explicit messages or images they didn't ask for (48%) are very common on dating sites and apps. Some 62% of online daters believe relationships where people first met through a dating site or app are just as successful as those that started in person, compared to 52% of those who never dated. In general, dating apps and sites are perfectly safe, although of course there are exceptions (PLEASE don't Google them. For example, 60% of female users aged 18 to 34 say someone on a dating site or app continued to contact them after they said they weren't interested, while a similar proportion (57%) report being sent a sexually explicit message or image they didn't ask for.
Other incidents highlight how dating sites or apps can become a place for annoying or harassing behavior, especially for women under 35. LGB users are also more likely than heterosexual users to say that someone on a dating site or app continued to contact them after they were told they weren't interested, called them an offensive name, or threatened to harm them physically. While 29% of online dating users say dating sites and apps have had a mostly positive effect on dating and relationships, that share is 21% among non-users. Half of Americans believe that dating sites and apps have had no positive or negative effect on dating and relationships, while smaller stocks think their effect has been mostly positive (22%) or mostly negative (26%).
Adults say they have ever used an online dating site or app, including 11% who have done so in the past year, according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted in October. All in all, about a quarter of Americans (23%) say they have ever gone on a date with someone they met through a dating site or app. College-educated online daters, for example, are much more likely than those with a high school diploma or less to say their own personal experience with dating sites or apps is very or somewhat positive (63% vs. Saskia Garner, personal safety policy officer at Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a UK non-governmental organization working to combat violence and aggression, said dating sites have approached the trust for help with its safety policy.
About half or more of 18-29 year olds (48%) and LGB adults (55%) say they have ever used a dating site or app, while about 20% of each group say they have married or been in a committed relationship with someone they first met through these platforms. Whatever your issues with dating apps and sites, I want to help you navigate the online dating world without fear for your safety. . .
