McAfee, the computer security monolith, recently released their study on Love, Relationships and Technology: When Private Data Gets Stuck in the Middle of a Breakup.
Most interesting statistics from the study:
- 50% of people share their personal or intimate photos with their partner and friends,
- Over 50% share their password with their partner,
- 1 in 10 people have been threatened by their ex that they would post risqué photos online,
- More people check on their ex-partner’s Facebook and Twitter than on their current partner (50% vs 46%),
- Steamy sexts get leaked 60% of the time,
- 84% have changed several passwords after breakups.
Love among the chips is definitely not as grand as love among the ruins though one wonders what Robert Browning would have done with tweets to Elizabeth Barrett.
Once you share private and personal information in a digital way it is out of your control.
To make sure you keep your private data private, follow these tips:
- Don’t share your passwords
- Make sure you lock your mobile with a PIN
- Delete any intimate photos/videos on your mobile device
- Don’t share photos or videos that you don’t want your grandma seeing
- If you’ve shared passwords, change them immediately.
Love may not last forever but digital sure will.
