Almost one in 10 in relationship admit to using ‘stalkerware to monitor partner’

‘Many people report a sense of helplessness and loss of control due to the bombardment of communications,’ says expert

Cyber safety network saw a 63 per cent surge in electronic devices around world which contained spyware between September last year and May this year (AFP via Getty Images)

Almost one in 10 people in the UK who have been in a relationship confess to using technology that allows them to spy on their partners, new data shows.

NortonLifeLock, one of the largest cybersafety firms worldwide, estimates 2.9 million people living in the UK, which amounts to five per cent of adults, have used so-called stalkerware.

Researchers also found almost two in five Britons aged between 18 and 39 currently in a relationship think their partner is somewhat likely to install an app on their phone which monitors messages, phone calls, photos they take, as well as emails. This is over five times the amount of people older than 40 who suspected their partner may do so.

The cyber safety network also witnessed a 63 per cent surge in electronic devices around the world which contained spyware between September last year and May this year - with this equating to more than 250,000 compromised devices in total.

Kevin Roundy, a stalkerware specialist at the firm, said: “We issue warnings to customers alerting them of potential stalkerware apps on their devices, and our latest threat telemetry shows that use of this invasive technology is steadily climbing.

“Stalkerware is commercially available technology that can be installed on a device to monitor activity without the user’s knowledge. It usually requires someone to have physical access to a device to install it.”

The technology – dubbed “stalkerware” – can be easily downloaded without the victim’s awareness or permission. It enables the snooper to track an individual’s exact location, as well as providing access to private images, videos, emails, texts and WhatsApp and Facebook messages and can also allow a partner to eavesdrop on phone calls and secretly record conversations.

Both domestic abuse and stalking have surged in the wake of lockdown measures implemented during the pandemic - with experts previously telling The Independent the rise in stalkerware is directly linked to this.

NortonLifeLock, which polled over 10,000 people in ten countries, also looked into cyberstalking behaviours that do not involve the downloading of spyware.

In the UK, researchers discovered men are more likely than women to snoop on their partners’ phone without permission in order to track their physical activity. Smartphones, without any spyware applications being downloaded, automatically record an individual’s movements and key locations.

Some 11 per cent of men who had been in a relationship had done so, in comparison to four per cent of women.

Emma Short, an associate psychology professor at Montfort University who specialises in cyberstalking, said: “Increasingly, online behaviours, such as tracking and monitoring, are either accepted as normal or are a ‘grey area’. It seems that thresholds of many normalised online behaviours are now higher than the thresholds for criminality in cyber abuse.

“This is extremely concerning as it creates a higher tolerance of risk amongst the public and an acceptance of harm. Additionally, this means that serious cases can be missed, or dangerous stalking can escalate quickly.”

Dr Short, who is also a trustee at Suzy Lamplugh Trust which runs the National Stalking Helpline, said sharing our whereabouts and our real-time movements with loved ones is commonplace but warned that “early controlling and stalking behaviours can start here”.

She added: “It’s very hard to close the door once access has been established and the consequences of cyberstalking can be profound, affecting all areas of functioning and health.

“Many people report a sense of helplessness and loss of control due to the bombardment of communications, the shattered integrity of their networks and the disruption this causes. This is often exacerbated by the poor response they receive from others due to the normalisation of many of these behaviours.”

It comes after The Independent last year revealed three in four domestic abuse victims have been exposed to “controlling, humiliating or monitoring” behaviour by their former partners using technology.

Refuge, the UK’s largest provider of shelters for domestic abuse victims, found 4,004 women seeking help in 2019 – around three-quarters of the total – had faced abuse from their ex-partner perpetrated via technology.

The tech abuse includes current or former partners using smartphones or their children’s iPads and games consoles to track a woman’s location, sharing so-called revenge porn on the internet or repeated phone calls and messages or harassment via social media. While the charity also said they have seen a rise in tech abuse cases that involve abusers using smart locks, webcams and smart heating systems to “monitor, control and gaslight” victims in the past two years.

Anyone who requires help or support can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline which is open 24/7 365 days per year on 0808 2000 247 or via their website www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/