A survey revealed that
63% of Argentines
checked their partner's cell phone and, of these, 56% did so without permission.
The study, carried out by the information security company Avast, verified the information with a thousand Argentines who are in a
loving relationship.
Despite this, 78% of Argentines who practiced
snooping
(this is the name of this bad practice of checking the phone) agree that
they do not have the right to access
the device without their permission.
"No form of espionage is acceptable, any unwanted access is a
violation of privacy
," said Javier Rincon, Regional Director in LatAm for Avast.
"In addition, there is a
very fine line
between snooping and stalking. Of Argentines who accessed their partner's device, 29% admitted to being nosy. Another
6% did so to install an app without their partner knowing
, and 6% wanted to check where their partner had physically been at a certain time and place ”, he continued.
"These figures may seem low, but this behavior can pose a significant psychological and even physical problem for those affected who were spied on," he added.
a bad practice
"Looking behind your partner's phone is a red flag about the possibility of
violence against women
." It's important for couples to communicate openly and set boundaries in relationships. Seemingly innocent eavesdropping can seem like a big intrusion in privacy, and it should be prohibited," says Mabel Bianco, from the
Foundation for the Study and Research of Women
, FEIM.
27% of Argentines who checked their partner's phone
found evidence
that their partner was
hiding something
.
Two out of five interviewees admitted to having argued about something they discovered on their partner's device.
The
photo and video gallery
were the applications that were most accessed (44%), followed by
social network applications such
as Facebook or Instagram (40%) and messaging and chat apps (40%).
The reasons why they admitted to spying.
Avast Source
Without password
Not everyone who checked their partner's device had to do it stealthily;
42% knew their partner's passcode
because it had been shared with them in the past, while a third did not need it because their partner's phone
was not
protected by a passcode.
Others
memorized their partner's password
(17%), while 4%
tricked their partner into unlocking their phone
so they could access it, and
2
% used
their partner's fingerprint in their sleep to unlock their phone
, or something similar.
“Giving the password to the couple or not protecting their equipment is something that women should avoid, whether with their permanent or accidental partners.
In addition to preventing their privacy, allow reasons for discussion and aggression by the couple to arise and it is the beginning of violence that
finds its justification
, even though we know violence is never justified,' added Bianco.
how to realize
Instagram and WhatsApp, the two applications that are most reviewed.
AP Photo
Despite the fact that there are indications to know if a person checks the cell phone of another, it is impossible to have everything under control from the technical point of view.
But reviewing
open WhatsApp Web sessions
, for example, is a good practice.
Consulted by
Clarín
, Rincon explained: "From the computer point of view, there is no 100% preventive method, one can have a private password on their phone to avoid prying or add a protective film to prevent the screen from being seen by others angles”.
Despite this, there are a number of programs that exist and
are installed to directly record what the other user is doing.
“These applications are called Spyware or Stalkerware.
These applications are usually hidden in plain sight so that the person does not realize that they have this type of application on their device.
Unfortunately, in most cases, these apps are used in toxic or abusive relationships without the partner's consent and display their location at all times or even the content of the partner's phone,” he explains.
For this reason, it is essential to use an antivirus.
“The correct path is communication and providing the means for a relationship of trust.
The right to privacy belongs to both parties, not because the other has something to hide, but because we all have the right to have things on our own, and
decide with whom we want to reveal them
, ”closes the expert.
SL
look too
Theft of WhatsApp and Telegram accounts is growing: the most common attacks and how to protect yourself
What are the passwords that no one should use to protect their accounts