How much do you know about your online match? Photo / Getty Images
If you are on the fence about dating apps, this article will be make or break.
Global leader in cyber safety Norton just dropped some statistics that reveal the online dating world is not as easy-breezy as the sale pitches would have you believe.
In light of The Tinder Swindler rising to the top 10 on Netflix, a big, bright shining torch has been aimed at the dark side of online dating - and Norton's findings reveal one particular fact you won't forget easily.
A whopping 67 per cent of New Zealand online daters have a secret cyber stalk of their matches before meeting them in person.
They're literally finding out everything about you before you even get a chance to fill the silences with it on your first date. What's worse, 37 per cent of these people un-matched with someone because of what they found.
The facts alone are scary, but surprisingly most of the pre-first date judgement goes completely unnoticed. It seems everyone has got so good at stealthily stalking their matches that just 13 per cent of Kiwis have accidentally been caught out when they liked an old post or photo of a romantic interest or their partner's ex-significant other.
True, it's completely natural to want to know more about someone before you meet them. It's the same as job interviews and business meetings - you want to be prepared.
Mark Gorrie, senior director or NortonLifeLock said: "I'd be surprised if Kiwis didn't Google or engage in some form of online vetting before meeting someone in person for the first time."
But the question remains, how far is too far?
A total of 51 per cent of online daters take up social media prowling to ease their pre-first-date jitters and, based on Norton's findings, this was the most popular method, while others used search engines, professional networking sites and even branched out to searching for friends or family members of their match.
But the most intrusive of all creeping methods is the 4 per cent of online dating users who are taking it one step too far and paying for a background check – without your consent.
Gorrie noted: "We see an issue when that vetting turns into online creeping or worse, cyberstalking. Kiwis need to take care of what information they're leaving behind in online profiles, dating apps and more."
But never fear, there are steps you can take to keep yourself safe while online dating. The most important of the online dating commandments is whenever you are planning to meet with someone in person for the first time make sure your friend or family member knows where you are.
You can share your location with them via Snapchat, Facebook, Find my Friends or simply let them know the time and place and how long you roughly expect to be with this person. If things progress well with your date and you move locations, be sure to update your friend or family member.
You can also be careful with how much you share online. For example, you can opt to set your personal social media accounts to the highest privacy setting or avoid putting your first and last name on profiles.
And for those who are concerned that stalkerware or creepware may have already been installed on their device, Norton recommends you review permissions for each app (e.g. locations, contact lists, access to calls, texts, camera, microphone and image gallery) and delete any app that isn't used or needed.