According to a recent report, the use of mobile monitoring software has increased. Digital stalking between partners is also becoming more common. Compared to other countries, the Germans do not cover themselves in glory.
Digital stalking is on the rise
Software company Kaspersky has been carrying out the so-called “State of Stalkerware” report for several years. Security experts use specially collected data to investigate how many people are unwittingly being monitored by software on their mobile phones. The corresponding software can be secretly installed on smartphones and allows the professional and private life of the person concerned to be spied on without anyone noticing.
Last year, according to the current report, 31,031 people in 175 different countries around the world were affected by so-called stalking programs. This means an increase of just under six percent compared to the previous year.
Germany ranks first in statistics
Stalkerware is also a problem in Germany. With 577 cases in this country, the Federal Republic of Germany occupies a sad first place in the comparison of European countries, behind France (332) and Great Britain (271). However, the number of people affected in this country has fallen by about a fifth since 2022.
In a global comparison, Germany still ranks tenth. With 9,890 cases recorded, Russia is the undisputed leader, ahead of Brazil (4,186) and India (2,492). The United States ranks seventh on the list with 799 cases.
More stalking in relationships
In addition, Kaspersky conducted a survey of 21 thousand people on this topic. Accordingly, 23 percent said they had been the victim of cyberstalking by someone they had recently dated. A percentage of those surveyed were also affected by the following issues:
- Receiving spam emails or messages – 16%
- Filmed without permission – 13%
- His whereabouts were monitored – 10%
- Unauthorized access to your social media accounts – 10%
- Stalker programs installed on smartphone by third parties – 7%
Unfortunately, the report does not break down the data by country at this stage. However, there is no reason to assume that a radically different picture would emerge in Germany.
Be careful when interpreting the data
It can be debated whether people have fundamentally become more jealous in recent years and therefore keep a closer eye on their partners or whether this is simply due to the sheer number of options now available. After all, opportunity makes thieves. In addition, because the report statistics only include cases of people who have Kaspersky security software installed on their mobile phones, the results are limited in representativeness.
- Mobile monitoring software is on the rise
- Digital stalking between partners is becoming more common
- Germany leads Europe in stalkerware cases
- 577 people were affected in Germany last year
- 31,031 people worldwide are affected by stalkerware
- Russia, Brazil and India top global statistics
- 23% of participants are victims of cyberstalking
See also:
“Tv expert. Hardcore creator. Extreme music fan. Lifelong twitter geek. Certified travel enthusiast. Baconaholic. Pop culture nerd. Reader. Freelance student.”
More Stories
Mysterious methane on Mars: NASA has a new theory
Mysterious methane on Mars: NASA has a new theory
Exoplanet WASP-43b: Clouds of liquid rock, but surprisingly methane-free