The next time you are about to swipe right on a dating app you might want to think twice about the information you choose to share with potential matches.
A study has found more than one in four people in the UAE have had sensitive personal information leaked online as a result of using dating apps.
The report compiled by cybersecurity company Kaspersky said the gathering and revealing of private information, known as doxing, was a major concern for many people who were looking for love online.
Kaspersky
About 60 per cent of people who took part in the study said people they had been communicating with had shared screenshots of their conversation without permission, threatened them with personal information they found online, leaked intimate photos or even stalked them in real life.
“Doxing is a type of cyberbullying, it’s nearly always done by someone you will never have met in the real world,” said Vladislav Tushkanov, a senior data scientist at Kaspersky.
“It’s often the case it’s being done by someone who wanted to meet you but you decided against it.
“They’re likely to be doing it because they are looking for revenge.”
The most common victims of doxing were women, said Mr Tushkanov, but campaigns against politicians, actors, reporters and other public figures were also frequent targets.
About three quarters of respondents in the UAE – 72 per cent – said they were afraid of being stalked by someone they spoke to online.
This was despite the fact 62 per cent said apps had made dating easier for them.
And a quarter of the people who took part in the global survey admitted they had linked social media accounts to their profiles on dating apps.
The demographic most likely to share personal information on dating apps were 18 to 24-year-olds, with seven per cent of all respondents saying they were explicitly using dating apps to promote their social media accounts.
About 19,000 people took part in the global survey in countries including the UAE, France, UK, China, US, and Russia.
There were more than 500 respondents from the UAE alone.
About one in three people said they had been the victim of cyberstalking, with 32 per cent saying they were stalked on social media by someone they had not matched with.
Some of the most appealing information for doxers are victims' names, phone numbers, home addresses and places of work.
“The goal of the perpetrator is to cause psychological distress,” said Mr Tushkanov.
“In some cases they will spread rumours about someone and try to engage with that person’s friends and family to cause as many problems as possible.
“In some cases they will even spread the rumours to the person’s employer.”
The issue of doxing was bound to increase in frequency with more people than ever communicating online due to the pandemic, he added.
Another cybersecurity expert said people needed to pay particular attention to what they were sharing online, no matter how trivial it might seem.
“People posting regularly on social media platforms about their personal lives, work, family, and travel plans can give stalkers a treasure trove of personal details and information that can be used to harass an individual,” said Sam Curry, chief security officer of Cybereason.
“Doxers want to harass, stalk and try controlling their victims.”
He said the amount of information freely available online is often carte blanche for those looking to harass or stalk others.
“Don’t engage with strangers on social media accounts and never share personal information such as phone numbers, email and home address on your accounts,” said Mr Curry.
“The best protection is to keep your data private and minimise broadcasts of anything you want kept private.”
The practice is nothing new, said another cybersecurity expert, but it has become extremely prevalent recently, with further instances only expected to grow in numbers.
“I believe the public is very much aware of ‘doxing’ but not familiar with the term,” said Morey Haber, chief security officer at BeyondTrust.
“With more information being available on the internet, I think this is a long-term problem.”
He said the purpose of doxing someone was often to shame someone into defending their actions or explaining their position.
“Doxing... is designed to damage a person’s reputation,” he said.
“Unfortunately, even the smallest doxing campaign can cause a flurry of disinformation that can snowball into additional false information.”
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
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Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
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The%20specs%3A%202024%20Panamera
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1. |
United States |
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2. |
China |
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3. |
UAE |
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4. |
Japan |
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5 |
Norway |
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6. |
Canada |
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7. |
Singapore |
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8. |
Australia |
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9. |
Saudi Arabia |
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10. |
South Korea |
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
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Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
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Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
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Friday Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (11.30pm)
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Sunday Werder Bremen v Stuttgart (6.30pm), Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (9pm)
Monday Hoffenheim v Augsburg (11.30pm)
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
