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Men also face more pressure and threats to share digital accounts with partners

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Malwarebytes, a global leader in real-time cyber protection, released new data highlighting the pressures people face in sharing their digital lives with their partners. The findings reveal two divides between genders: men experience significantly more pressure and threats to share their locations and online account access compared to women, while women are much less likely to be aware of how their locations could be exposed across shared digital accounts. Based on a survey of 500 adults in committed relationships across the United States, the study explores how deeply intertwined our digital and romantic lives have become, and the potential risks for couples.

"Modern love demands so much today from couples, whether they're dating, married, or newly split. Rather than blaming men and women for the unique problems they face, technologists and cybersecurity experts can build tools that benefit everyone," said David Ruiz, Senior Privacy Advocate, Malwarebytes. "Too many people—not just women—are led to trust popular apps that can reveal their locations in ways they don't know. And too many people—not just men—are pressured to share their passwords, locations, and devices in ways that make them uncomfortable. Every healthy relationship is built on consent. It's far past time to tell users what is happening to their data, and what they can do to keep themselves safe."

Key Findings:

These insights highlight the nuanced challenges both men and women face in sharing their digital lives with partners. The disparities underscore the need for better education and transparency from app developers and service providers.

• Increased Pressure and Threats: 

• • Of those who shared their location, 36% of men reported feeling pressured to do so, compared to 20% of women.
  • 9% of men stated that their partner had threatened them over sharing account access, more than double the rate for women (4%). Threats included the risk of breakups, physical or emotional harm, and being shut out or ignored.
• Regret and One-Sided Consent: 

• • 23% of men wished their partners did not have access to their digital accounts and devices, versus 12% of women.
  • When it came to just device access, 14% of men expressed regret about sharing, compared to 7% of women.
  • Similar regret was noted in social media account sharing (9% of men vs. 4% of women) and location-sharing apps (16% of men vs. 9% of women).
• Disparity in Location-Sharing Apps: 
  • While many people share locations with consent between both people (85%), men were 400% more likely to share their locations via apps like FindMy on iOS or Life360 solely because their partner insisted or demanded they do so (8% of men vs. 2% of women).
• Regret in Sharing Personal Information: 
  • 14% of men agreed with the statement, "If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't share as much personal account information with my partner," compared to 8% of women.

• Awareness Gaps Among Women: Women showed less awareness of how their locations could be accessed through various apps:
• 68% of women were unaware of location exposure on vacation rental platforms (vs. 49% of men).
• 57% of women lacked awareness for health and fitness apps like Fitbit and Strava (vs. 43% of men).
• 50% of women were unaware of risks in ride-hailing apps (vs. 37% of men).
• 49% of women didn't recognize location-sharing risks in food delivery apps (vs. 39% of men).
• 60% of women were unaware of location tracking via modern vehicle companion apps (vs. 41% of men).

For additional information and tips on secure dating practices, navigating the complexities of digital relationships, and enhancing online security, visit the Modern Love in the Digital Age guidance hub.

National Network to End Domestic Violence Technology Summit
Malwarebytes Senior Privacy Advocate David Ruiz will share these findings and more as part of his presentation at the National Network to End Domestic Violence Technology Summit, August 5-8 in Washington, DC. His presentation, "What's 'normal' to share? How passwords, locations, and devices are the latest sign of intimacy for romantic couples," will explore the latest findings from Malwarebytes' research on digital sharing and privacy, along with advice and guidelines on how people can engage in safe sharing, as well as disengaging from any sharing that they find uncomfortable.

To read more about the latest threats and cyber protection strategies, visit the Malwarebytes blog, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram , LinkedIn, TikTok, and X.

About Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is a global cybersecurity leader delivering award-winning endpoint protection, privacy and threat prevention solutions worldwide. Built on decades of experience as the last resort to find and eradicate the latest malware, Malwarebytes is now trusted by millions of individuals and organizations to stop threats at each stage of the attack lifecycle, secure digital identities and safeguard data and privacy. A world class team of threat researchers and proprietary AI-powered engines provide unmatched threat intelligence to detect and prevent known and unknown threats. The company is headquartered in California with offices in Europe and Asia. For more information and career opportunities, visit https://www.malwarebytes.com.

Malwarebytes Media Contact: 
Ashley Stewart
Director of Public and Analyst Relations
press@malwarebytes.com

SOURCE Malwarebytes