A recent survey conducted by Kaspersky found that close to 50% of Malaysian respondents had experienced digital abuse or online stalking from someone they were newly dating. The survey, which involved 21,000 global respondents and 1,000 participants from Malaysia, also found that 47% of the respondents considered checking the social media accounts of someone they were dating as acceptable due diligence, and 42% admitted to doing so themselves.
Additionally, 56% of the respondents stated that they were willing to share passwords that could potentially allow their location to be accessed. The survey revealed that the types of abuse experienced in Malaysia varied, with over a third of respondents reporting some form of violence or abuse from a current or previous partner, 19% receiving unwanted emails or messages, 18% being filmed or photographed without consent, 17% having their location tracked, 15% having their social media accounts or emails hacked, and 13% having stalkerware installed on their devices without consent.
Adrian Hia, the managing director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky, emphasized the urgent need to address the pervasive use of stalkerware, stating that the company is committed to raising awareness, sharing expertise, and collaborating with partners from public and private sectors to equip victims with knowledge and guide them towards safety. Hia also stressed Kaspersky’s mission to reverse the tide against digital abuse.
Aside from Malaysia, the survey also involved respondents from 21 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Peru, Singapore, Russia, and India. The survey was conducted by Arlington Research on behalf of Kaspersky. Bernama
