“My whole life stopped because I was in so much fear”, these are the words left by a cyberstalking victim, reflecting the lifelong emotional trauma caused by cyberstalking. What is cyberstalking? Is it far away from our daily lives? Let’s get into the bloody facts and learn some measures we can actually take to protect ourselves as well as our loved ones.
Table of Contents
What Is Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking is the act of stalking people over the internet to conduct monitoring, identity theft, harassment, intimidation, threats, etc. Though started online, it is often accompanied by offline stalking, leading to more severe consequences like sexual harassment and physical attacks. Some of the Cyberstalking examples are:
- Monitoring victims’ online activities like browsing and chat history.
- Use hidden cameras or hacked devices to spy on victims.
- Doxxing victims and spreading their sensitive information online.
- Send harassing emails, texts, or direct messages to victims.
- Steal victims’ information and impersonate them for fraud.
- Find out victims’ geolocation and offline stalking.
- Gain trust through online phishing then threaten or manipulate victims.
- Deliberately spread rumors about victims.
Worse Than You Think: Cyberstalking Statistics
The rapid growth of social media has intensified cyberstalking. Stalkers have more accessibility and anonymity online, and the viral nature of social media increased data breaches. Here are some of the latest data and statistics on cyberstalking.
⚠︎ According to Safehome, 7.5 million people are cyberstalked every year.
⚠︎ According to Safehome, 67% of cyberstalkers move from online to offline.
⚠︎ According to CSEW, 4% of females and 2.3% of males aged 16 were cyberstalked.
⚠︎ According to Stalkingawareness, 16% of victims experienced the non-consensual distribution of pornographic images and videos.
How to Prevent Cyberstalking: 7 Measures
Given the alarming statistics of cyberstalking, taking proactive steps to protect yourself becomes necessary. Here are some valid tips to stay safe and private online.
1. Caution Cameras
Being mindful of cameras. On your personal devices, do not easily allow for camera permission, and form a habit of covering it up when you don’t use it. Speaking of living hotel, always remember to bring a camera detector.
2. Don’t Share GPS & Locations
Be sensitive about locations. Avoid sharing the real-time location on social media, post it after you leave the place instead. Meanwhile, turn off GPS when you don’t need it.
3. Hide Your Online Footprint
Simply using Incognito mode doesn’t really hide your online footprints. It just hides them from your device. To truly leave no trace on the Internet, you’d better use a VPN for encryption. X-VPN is a professional VPN service provider that has been committed to online security since its launch. By enabling X-VPN before browsing online content, your online data cannot be intercepted or hacked.
Key Security Features:
- Military-class AES-256 encryption.
- Protect public WiFi security.
- 100% No-log VPN never collects your data.
- VPN servers with private DNS offer top privacy.
- Kill switch avoid data breach in any circumstances.
4. Opt for Virtual Identities
Instead of handing over your real information each time be ask, opt for a virtual identity generator. Get a random name, email, and address to register online, and leave as little footprint online as possible.
5. Enable Dark Web Monitoring
Sometimes data breaches happen silently. To make sure whether your information is leaked, tools like dark web monitoring can help. Get an alert each time your information appears on the dark web, and take measures accordingly.
6. Use Anti-Tracking Software
There are specialized tools to catch the man in the middle. Anti-tracking software can detect and block all data collection activities, making you less likely to become a target of a cyberstalker.
7. Enhance Passwords Safety
Using strong, unique passwords for all accounts. Meanwhile, you are suggested to turn on two-factor authentication. This significantly decreases the likelihood of unauthorized access to your accounts.
How to Report Cyber Stalking
Anytime you feel harassed, threatened, data compromised, or suffer from behavior that makes you feel unsafe or distressed, you should consider reporting cyberstalking. Follow these steps:
1. Cut all the connections with the stalker.
2. Collect evidence. Document all the chat histories and threatening messages to submit.
3. Contact local police. Search for contact information for local law enforcement and contact them.
4. Change passwords on compromised accounts.
5. If it’s identity-related, tell your contacts to be wary of scams.
Recent Cyberstalking Crimes & Consequences
Cyberstalking has become an increasingly common problem, with many high-profile cases reported. Below are some notable cyberstalking cases from recent years.
- In 2022, a California man threatened women to send him pornographic images and videos of them for more than a year. Under California’s cyberstalking law, “a felony charge of cyberstalking can carry a five-year prison sentence.” He was arrested in September of that year.
- A 41-year-old man from Anchorage, Alaska, cyberstalked his ex-partner over 4 years. He used stalking apps, frequent phone calls, and threats to harass her and her family. Alaska’s anti-stalking law sentenced him to four and a half years in prison. He was arrested in May 2020 after evading arrest for two days and was convicted again after a retrial in November 2024.
- A 33-year-old Seattle man threatened and harassed a woman for an extensive period, the victim previously shared an apartment with the man’s wife. He showed no remorse for his crimes and sent threatening messages to the enforcement, ending up with 9 years in prison.
Conclusion
Cyberstalking is increasingly rampant as social media grows. Combating cyberstalking is a long-lasting task. Always remember to take digital security actions like enabling VPN encryption and using virtual identities. If you encounter any unsafe harassment, don’t be afraid to report it, as there are countless cases of these criminals ending up in jail.
FAQs
Is Cyberstalking Common?
Yes, cyberstalking is increasingly common, especially with the rise of social media. An increasing number of individuals are experiencing cyberstalking and online harassment each year.
Is Cyberstalking A Crime?
Yes, cyberstalking is considered a crime in many jurisdictions and can lead to legal consequences for the perpetrator.
What Group of People Is At the Highest Risk from Cyberstalking?
Women are facing more cyberstalking than men. Especially young women aged 16 to 19, every 25 there’s 1 victim.
How to Stop Cyber Stalking?
To stop cyberstalking, report the behavior to authorities, block the stalker on all platforms, enhance privacy settings, and document all incidents for evidence.
