Norton Report Reveals: 29% of Surveyed Indian Online Daters Un-Matched From a Prospective Date Having Found Disturbing Social Media Posts

• 52% of Indians surveyed agree it is harmless to stalk a current or ex-partner
• 48% of Indians Surveyed Would Be More Likely to Stalk a Current or Former Partner Online if They Knew They Would Not Get Caught   

NDIA: NortonLifeLock, a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety, today published Indian findings from a global study examining consumers’ online creeping behaviors when it comes to current or prospective partners. The report, released pre-Valentine’s Day, highlights the importance of taking precautions with your privacy, data, and the information you share online.

The survey findings reveal that, when matching with someone online, people globally like to do a little extra online research on their potential dates, with Indians being no exception. The Norton study was conducted online in partnership with The Harris Poll and involved 1,000 Indian adults aged 18+. According to respondents who have used online dating apps and websites, the most common tactics for vetting a prospective date include looking up their match’s; social media profiles (60%), profiles on a professional networking site (43%), and friends and family social media profiles (40%).

Dating apps and websites are constantly evolving to include new features and interfaces, but for many Indian online daters, the information found on a dating profile isn’t enough. 40% of Indian online daters take it a step further according to these survey results, looking up a dating match’s friends or family members on social media. If that sounds intrusive, think about matches that are unknowingly subjected to background checks, as 19% of Indians surveyed who are or have ever used a dating app or website admit paying for a check on their match.

• “Nearly everyone does some form of social media check or online creeping before meeting someone in person for the first time,” says Ritesh Chopra, Director Sales and Field Marketing, India & SAARC Countries, NortonLifeLock. “While a few consumers are taking preventative measures to protect themselves online, there is certainly room for improvement. We discovered that 73% of Indian adults surveyed who have been in a romantic relationship admit to checking in on their current or former partners without their knowledge or consent/permission. Almost a third of Indian adults who have ever used a dating website or app (34% have used something other than their full name on the platform. It is important to be vigilant when it comes to sharing your personal information on dating apps as this can leave consumers vulnerable if personal information gets in the wrong hands.”

Additional findings from the study include:

• Reasons to Un-Match: While almost a third of Indian online daters surveyed (29%) unmatched with a potential partner due to finding disturbing social media posts, others unmatched having discovered photos online that conflicted with their dating profile pictures (34%), and discovering disturbing information about their family (22%).
• Online creeping isn’t just for those who are using online dating platforms: Indian adults surveyed also admit that they have even looked at the music account of a romantic interest (27%) and have used information accessible through payment apps (typical examples in India could be PayPal, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Paymt.) to check on someone else’s public activity (21%).
• Social media lurking can lead to awkward moments: Around 2 in 5 Indians surveyed (44%) say they have accidentally “deep-liked” an old post or photo on a social media profile, either of a romantic interest (31%) or of their partner’s ex-significant other (28%) –
• Many are checking in on their romantic partners as well: 73% of Indians surveyed who have been in a romantic relationship, admit to checking in on their current or a former partner without their knowledge or consent/permission. Among those who admitted to online stalking around a quarter of respondents admit to tracking their current or former partner’s location via a location sharing app (25%) or creating a fake profile to check on them on social media (23%).

• Creeping behaviour across generations: While 49% of younger generations aged 18-39 surveyed say they would be more likely to stalk a current or former partner online if they knew they would not get caught, this compares to 42% of those aged 40 and over.When meeting offline: Only 30% of Indian adults shared their location with a friend or family member before meeting up in-person with someone that they met online.

source https://nrinews24x7.com/norton-report-reveals-29-of-surveyed-indian-online-daters-un-matched-from-a-prospective-date-having-found-disturbing-social-media-posts/

February 10, 2022