`Love, creeping aur dhoka': Survey reveals 29% dates canceled due to social media

According to the Norton LockLife survey, 29% of online people in India canceled a prospective date after reading disturbing social media posts by their partners.

Dating apps and websites are constantly evolving to include new features and interfaces, but for many Indian online daters, the information found on a dating profile isn't enough.

Titled '22 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Online Creeping', the survey found that the most common tactics for vetting a prospective date include checking their match's social media profiles (60%), profiles on a professional networking site (43%), and friends and family social media profiles (40%). The survey, which was released before Valentines Day, revealed that 52% of Indians surveyed agree it is harmless to stalk a current or ex-partner and 48% of Indians surveyed would be more likely to stalk a current or former partner online if they are sure that they would not get caught.

While 49% of younger generations aged 18-39 surveyed say they would be more likely to stalk a current or former partner online if they knew they would not get caught. This factor is slightly less at 42% among those aged 40 and over.

Indian adults surveyed also admit that they have even looked at the music account of romantic interest (27%) and used information accessible through payment apps (typical examples in India could be PayPal, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Paytm) to check on someone else's public activity (21%).

Around 2 in 5 Indians surveyed (44%) say they have accidentally "deep-liked" an old post or photo on a social media profile, either of romantic interest (31%) or of their partner's ex-significant other (28%).

73% of Indians surveyed, who have been in a romantic relationship, admit to checking in on their current or a former partner without their knowledge or consent/permission. Around a quarter of respondents admitted to tracking their current or former partner's location via a location-sharing app (25%) or creating a fake profile to check on them on social media (23%). 30% of Indian adults shared their location with a friend or family member before meeting up in person with someone that they met online.

"Nearly everyone does some form of social media check or online creeping before meeting someone in person for the first time," says Ritesh Chopra, Director Sales and Field Marketing, India & SAARC Countries, Norton LifeLock.

"While a few consumers are taking preventative measures to protect themselves online, there is certainly room for improvement. We discovered that 73% of Indian adults surveyed who have been in a romantic relationship admit to checking in on their current or former partners without their knowledge or consent/permission. Almost a third of Indian adults who have ever used a dating website or app (34%) have used something other than their full name on the platform. It is important to be vigilant when it comes to sharing your personal information on dating apps as this can leave consumers vulnerable if personal information gets in the wrong hands," adds Ritesh.

The survey conducted online in partnership with The Harris Poll, surveyed 10,003 adults ages 18+ across 10 countries, including 1,000 Indian adults, of which 820 have ever used an online dating app or website. The survey was conducted from November 15 to December 7, 2021.