Kaspersky Report Confirms Stalkerware's Link To Online And Offline Violence

JAKARTA - Kaspersky's new report entitled “The State of Stalkware in 2021” analyzes stalkerware usage around the world, with the aim of better understanding the threats it poses.

Stalkerware is a technology that allows a person to spy on the private lives of others using a smart device. Stalkerware affected more than 32,000 Kaspersky mobile users globally last year.

Stalkerware is often used in abusive relationships. Research has identified a direct link between online and offline violence, making this issue even more important to address comprehensively.

According to its report, Kaspersky has witnessed a significant decline in affected users compared to Kaspersky data since 2018, and a 39 percent decline in 2020, it is important to underline that these statistics represent only the tip of the iceberg.

According to a rough estimate from the Coalition Against Stalkerware, stalkerware use could be close to one million cases, globally, each year.

By comparing the results of this study with the results of the Digital Stalking survey conducted at the end of 2021, it is easy to see the relationship between online and offline violence.

At least 24 percent of people surveyed confirmed they had experienced stalking using technology, and another 25 percent confirmed they had experienced violence or abuse from their partners. We also found the same correlation in most of the countries where the survey was run.

Two non-profit organizations that participated in the report and shared their experiences with victims, the US-based NNEDV (National Network to End Domestic Violence) and WWP EN (European Network for Monitoring Perpetrators of Domestic Violence) confirmed that supported abuse by technology is a growing problem.

“ICT technology is a powerful tool for perpetrators using coercive control, especially in relationships where violence already exists offline” wrote Berta Vall Castelló and Anna McKenzie of WWP EN.

In addition, according to Toby Shulruff of the NNEDV Safety Net project there is a growth rate of smart devices including household assistants, connected appliances, and security systems connected to WiFi networks and smartphones used in intimate partner violence. While stalkerware is a common problem, there are many other tools available for technology abuse.

Stalkerware continues to affect victims all over the world. Kaspersky has identified affected users in more than 185 countries and regions.

Russia, Brazil, the United States and India are the top four countries with the largest number of identified unique users. Germany is the only European country in the top 10 most affected.

This edition of the 'State of Stalkerware' report also provides an overview of the most affected countries at the regional level, with Kaspersky statistics for North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Eastern Europe (except EU countries) , Russia and Central Asia, and the Asia Pacific region.