March 14, 2024, 11:55 am | Read time: 3 minutes
According to a new report by Kaspersky, digital stalking is on the rise worldwide. Germany fares very poorly in a Europe-wide comparison.
Modern technologies make many aspects of daily life easier than ever before. Unfortunately, this also applies to questionable activities. While we can communicate with friends or look things up anytime, our constant connectivity makes us very vulnerable. This includes digital stalking, which is on the rise globally.
Overview
Alarming Figures on Digital Stalking
The security-focused company Kaspersky recently released a new report compiling data on digital stalking. It reveals that the phenomenon increased by nearly six percent worldwide in 2023. A total of 31,031 incidents were recorded for the study.
In Europe, experts noted a declining trend with 2,645 affected individuals. However, Germany leads the EU comparison with 557 known cases, followed by France (332 cases), the United Kingdom (271), Spain (257), and Italy (252).
Globally, Germany ranked tenth. Russia tops the international ranking with 9,890 victims of digital stalking, followed by Brazil (4,186), India (2,492), and Iran (1,578).
Also of interest: Is your partner secretly monitoring your smartphone?
One in Three in Germany Has Experienced Digital Stalking
In addition to general data collection, Kaspersky conducted separate surveys in several countries, including Germany with 1,000 participants.
Here, 33 percent of respondents reported having been digitally stalked or at least suspecting it, as noted in a separate blog post. Dating poses a particular risk–18 percent were harassed in this way by a recent dating partner.
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High Risk in Partnerships
Furthermore, nine percent of respondents openly admitted to installing stalkerware on their partner’s phone. Another nine percent pressured their loved ones to install surveillance apps. In contrast, 62 percent fundamentally reject surveillance in relationships.
Forty-four percent opposed mutual monitoring. However, 20 percent support complete transparency in the partnership, including the use of stalkerware. Sixteen percent find it acceptable if it is truly mutual and consensual.
More Global Figures
In connection with the phenomenon, Kaspersky released additional global figures on various forms of this practice:
- Sixteen percent received unwanted emails and messages
- Thirteen percent were photographed without permission
- Ten percent had their location monitored by strangers
- Ten percent experienced unauthorized access to their social media accounts
- Seven percent had stalkerware installed by others
Stalkerware does not necessarily mean illegal, prohibited software. Legitimate applications like anti-theft or parental control apps are not banned but can serve stalking purposes with the right settings. It is illegal to install such programs on other smartphones without the owner’s consent.
For the study, Kaspersky analyzed data from its own security network and the use of its mobile software. The figures represent only this specific segment. Since many people use other or no security software, the actual numbers could be even higher.