{"id":27980,"date":"2021-09-16T13:55:11","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T10:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saudishopper.com.sa\/en\/?p=27980"},"modified":"2026-03-27T23:15:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T20:15:52","slug":"every-4th-user-in-the-uae-has-been-doxed-while-looking-for-a-relationship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saudishopper.com.sa\/en\/every-4th-user-in-the-uae-has-been-doxed-while-looking-for-a-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"Every 4th user in the UAE has been doxed while looking for a relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

During the past few decades, the world has rapidly shifted towards digitalization of everyday practices, including dating. In some countries dating apps\u00a0<\/strong>became<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0the most popular way for people to meet, while modern couples\u2019 communication is almost unthinkable without social media. However, there is another side of the coin: with love transferring to the digital world, the gathering and public exposure of personal data (also known as \u201cdoxing\u201d) has become a major concern. The Kaspersky team conducted\u00a0<\/strong>a survey<\/strong><\/a>, exposing main threats and fears that users faced while dating online. As a result, the company\u2019s experts found that every 6th<\/sup>\u00a0user has been doxed while dating online.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the spread of social networks and dating apps, communication has become easier, faster, and much more convenient. According to Kaspersky research though, more than half (63%) of respondents in the United Arab Emirates admit that dating apps have made dating easier for them, 72% claim that they are afraid of being stalked by someone they met online, which is one of the consequences of doxing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oversharing personal information in dating apps and social media is something which may lead to big problems in the future. Users leave a vast trace of identifying information online, and this data can be picked up and used to doxers\u2019 advantage. Doxers\u2019 access to a target\u2019s home address, place of work, name, phone number, etc. increases the risks of transferring threats from the online world to the physical one. For instance, every 4th<\/sup> (26%) respondent admits to having been doxed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research also reveals more details on privacy threats users\u2019 face when dating online. 59% of interviewees admit that, while communicating online, their partner shared screenshots of their conversation without their consent, threatened them with personal information they found online, leaked their intimate photos, or stalked them in real life, which is also a direct consequence of doxing. The most widespread problem is cyberstalking \u2013 32% of respondents admit that they have been stalked on social media by a person they did not match with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndeed, social media and various apps have made dating much easier for us. You might find the love of your life online but unfortunately, there are also bots and fraudsters looking for prey on dating platforms. That is why while communicating with someone online, it is still important to remember the basic rules of digital privacy. To date online safely, I recommend not sharing personal identifying information, such as your phone number, location, home, and work address, etc. Preventing threats at such an early stage will let you enjoy online dating without any fears,\u201d <\/em>comments Anna Larkina, who is a security expert at Kaspersky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to learn more about how technologies can change dating and relationships, follow\u00a0this link.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn about the ways users can be doxed and discover how to minimize the risk of having personal information stolen by watching the free\u00a0\u201cDoxing: dangers and prevention\u201d course<\/a>, developed by Kaspersky privacy experts together with Endtab.org.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep your personal information protected, Kaspersky also recommends:<\/p>\n\n\n\n