{"id":2366,"date":"2020-08-21T16:59:40","date_gmt":"2020-08-21T20:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/?p=1377"},"modified":"2020-08-21T16:59:40","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T20:59:40","slug":"what-is-cyberstalking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/what-is-cyberstalking\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Cyberstalking?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block uk-card-default uk-padding\" style=\"font-size:16px\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h4>Table of Contents<\/h4><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#what-is-cyberstalking\">What Is Cyberstalking?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#who-is-at-risk-of-cyberstalking\">Who Is at Risk of Cyberstalking?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-can-you-protect-yourself-from-cyberstalking\">How Can You Protect Yourself From Cyberstalking?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#you-dont-have-to-be-a-victim\">You Don\u2019t Have to Be a Victim<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is cyberstalking? In 2006, <\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.today.com\/id\/21681120\/ns\/today-today_entertainment\/t\/priest-arrested-stalking-conan-obrien\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Conan O\u2019Brien<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> began receiving threatening letters and emails from a frustrated priest who had become obsessed with him after failing to <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2007\/11\/08\/arts\/08conan.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">get an audience<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the late-night talk show host. In 2011, an online stalker used social media to send death threats to the American Pie <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/alyson-hannigan-granted-restraining-order-421652\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">actress Alyson Hannigan<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. And in 2016, the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/new-york\/nyc-crime\/ashanti-stalker-maximum-sentence-years-article-1.2584162\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">singer-songwriter Ashanti<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> saw her stalker go to jail for the second time after he sent her sexually explicit tweets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, as well as the high profile examples mentioned above, cyberstalking doesn\u2019t just happen to the rich and famous. Anyone can fall victim to cyberstalking. An insulting message over social media might not seem like a cause for concern at first glance. But cyberstalking can quickly escalate (<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.haltabuse.org\/resources\/stats\/2013Statistics.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">more than 70%<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of instances do, according to some estimates). Moreover, a quarter of cyberstalking crimes include threats of offline or physical violence.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luckily, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of cyberstalking. Read on to learn more about this terrifying crime and what you can do to protect your digital privacy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-cyberstalking\"><strong>What Is Cyberstalking?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyberstalking is a form of stalking that predominantly takes place online rather than in person. It typically involves a malicious actor monitoring victims\u2019 online and real-world activities for the purpose of defamation, blackmail, sexual harassment, or <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-protect-yourself-from-identity-theft\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">identity theft<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The effects of cyberstalking can range from annoying to seriously threatening.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyberstalkers use a wide variety of channels to harass their victims. Think social media websites, online forums, dating sites and apps, email services, and any other platform on which the target might be active. They may also use some of these platforms to collect information about their victims in the first place, including things like email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, relationship status, and other intimate details about their lives.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some cyberstalkers pretend to be someone else to get close to their victim (this is known as \u201ccatfishing\u201d), usually with the aim of obtaining sensitive information or pictures. Others go so far as to install spyware on their targets\u2019 phones or laptops or hijack a computer\u2019s webcam.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-is-at-risk-of-cyberstalking\"><strong>Who Is at Risk of Cyberstalking?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although anyone can experience cyberstalking, young adult women are more likely to experience <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-deal-with-online-shaming-and-harassment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">harassing online behavior<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than men. In general, women are more likely to experience cyberstalking, sexual harassment, and long-term harassment. They\u2019re also much more likely to suffer from in-person attempts at harm after online harassment.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center, about four in ten Americans have been harassed online. Of these, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/internet\/2017\/07\/11\/online-harassment-2017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>about 7%<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have experienced online stalking. Moreover, 10% received physical threats, 6% were subjected to sexual harassment, and 7% were exposed to long-term harassment online.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Young adults (18- to 29-year olds) are especially vulnerable to cyberstalking. So are women. In 2016, the Data Society &amp; Research Institute and the Center for Innovative Public Health Research found that women are <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.datasociety.net\/pubs\/oh\/Online_Harassment_2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">far more likely<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to be subjected to cyberstalking, long-term harassment, and sexual harassment. Women are also much more likely than men to have their personal information exposed against their will.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compared with men, twice as many women under 30 report having experienced in-person attempts to harm them following online harassment.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, harassing behavior online appears to be on the rise. According to the aforementioned report by the Pew Research Center, the proportion of Americans subject to online harassment increased by 6% between 2014 and 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-can-you-protect-yourself-from-cyberstalking\"><strong>How Can You Protect Yourself From Cyberstalking?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many things you can do to protect yourself from cyberstalking. The most important thing, however, is to ensure that your personal information isn\u2019t readily available on the internet. If a Google search is all it takes for someone to find out who you are, you\u2019re an easy target.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what can you do? Put yourself in a cyberstalker\u2019s shoes and search for your name online to see what comes up. Not happy with the results? We recently wrote a blog post on <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-personal-information-from-the-internet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to remove personal information from the internet<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Note that people search sites might not necessarily come up when you Google your name. However, because these sites are very likely to have detailed profiles on you, it\u2019s vital that you take the time to search for yourself on each individual database. If you\u2019ve no idea where to start, we have <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/help\/diy-free-opt-out-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a thorough guide<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on how to opt-out of all major data brokers out there.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, check your <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/deletemes-best-practices-for-securing-social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">social media profiles<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Can anyone see everything you post, including photos that show your location or places you hang out at often? If so, set your accounts to private immediately, disable geotagging, and never accept friend requests from people you don\u2019t know. Just to be on the safe side, you might also want to ask your friends to stop tagging you on Facebook photos.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t forget the basics, either. Use strong passwords for each separate account, set two-factor authentication, and never connect to a public WiFi network without a virtual private network (VPN). Make sure to invest in a good antivirus software (and keep it updated!) and don\u2019t click on any suspicious links.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to go the extra mile, consider using a P.O. box, <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abine.com\/blog\/2018\/create-disposable-email-part-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Masked Email address<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and Masked Phone number. Some people don\u2019t even use their real names when setting up their social media profiles.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"you-dont-have-to-be-a-victim\">You Don\u2019t Have to Be a Victim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyberstalking is a frightening crime and one that is only going to become more common as people live more of their lives online. Learning more about cyberstalking and implementing the above tips can help you stay safe on and off the internet.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you need help taking your personal information off the web, we\u2019re here for you. DeleteMe is a <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">subscription-based service<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that will remove your name and other sensitive data from 40+ data brokers and people search sites. We\u2019ll also make sure that your profile isn\u2019t relisted a few months later (a common occurrence). <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is cyberstalking? In 2006, Conan O\u2019Brien began receiving threatening letters and emails from a frustrated priest who had become obsessed with him after failing to get an audience with the late-night talk show host. In 2011, an online stalker used social media to send death threats to the American Pie actress Alyson Hannigan. And [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":6322,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-privacy-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}