A recent survey from McAfee has revealed that almost 50 percent of Australians are happy to share online passwords with their partners…but this act of trust can quickly come undone and present itself as a threat to your privacy.
Armed with their partner’s login details, 47 percent of those surveyed admitted to checking emails, social networks and bank accounts of their significant other.
Where it gets messy is when relationships break up with 1 in 20 ex-partners threatening to expose risqué photos of their ex online with 46 percent actually carrying out the threat.
More more findings from the love and technology survey include…
- While many Australians are happy to share their personal information with their partners, the numbers are much greater in some other countries. While almost half of Australian’s have personal or intimate content on their smartphone, a staggering 80% of French and Mexicans are doing the same. Aussie’s are also much less likely to send the information via text or email to a friend (51%) than those in the US (60%), Germany (75%) or India (86%).
- When armed with their partner’s passwords, some Australians can’t help but snoop and check out their partners’ emails, bank accounts and social media pages. Almost half (47%) of people surveyed have admitted to checking their significant others’ emails, while 57% regularly or sometimes check their bank accounts. Meanwhile, almost half (47%) log in to partner’s social media pages. The survey also revealed that slightly more people (31%) track their ex-partner on Facebook than their current partner (21%).
- It’s not just revealing photos that people need to worry about. 10% of adults have had their personal content leaked to others without their permission. Sharing information at every turn increases the likelihood of leaked data and identity theft. Bank account numbers (67%), health insurance details (54%), Medicare numbers (67%), email accounts (58%), and passwords (48%) have all been shared with relationship partners.
- When personal data is leaked, about 17% of people hired an attorney and took legal actions to recover their information and have embarrassing photos removed from websites. Almost a quarter of those affected have broken into the emails of those who leaked the data to find proof and recover what was lost. The most popular form of fighting back was to confront the individual in person (56%) or online (30%).
Some tips on mixing Love & Technology while staying safe at http://www.mcafee.com/loveandtech
