The Latest Cyberstalking Statistics for 2024

What is Cyberstalking?

The Rand Institute defines cyberstalking as the use of communications technology to conduct acts of surveillance, make threats, and express intent to injure, harass, or intimidate victims to the point that they reasonably fear for their safety or feel significant emotional distress.¹¹ Typically, cyberstalking involves a pattern of repeated behaviors rather than a single event.

Cyberstalking can be a very terrorizing experience, and many Americans endure it. It can include hacking into an email account and reading messages, tracking someone’s location via their AirTag or Tile devices, and repeatedly calling someone. Offenders may exploit new technology that most people are not familiar with. Many offenders use common, everyday technology like smartphones or computers.

Here are some cyberstalking examples:

• Calling or texting repeatedly
• Sending unwanted emails, social media contact, or texts
• Monitoring phone calls, computer use, or social media activity through spyware or other means
• Using hidden technology such as cameras or GPS tech to track locations
• Monitoring locations by observing social media posts or by hacking into accounts or apps that track locations (such as ride-sharing apps)
• Posting (or threatening to post) inappropriate, unwanted, or personal information on the internet or through texts
• Spreading rumors online or encouraging others to harass the victim

Law enforcement divides stalking into four categories (with the abbreviation SLII): surveillance, life invasion, intimidation, and interference through sabotage or attack.¹² Offender behaviors often overlap multiple categories. They can apply to both traditional and tech stalking (cyberstalking).

Most Common Cyberstalking Tactics

Between 2010 and 2020, 412 federal cyberstalking cases were filed in district courts across the U.S.¹³ In these cases, stalkers used a variety of technology to track their victims, but basic texts, calls, and emails were used most frequently. In nearly half of these stalking cases, stalkers used cameras and screen captures to track their victims.

Source: Cyberstalking: A Growing Challenge for the U.S. Legal System, RAND Institute, 2023

GPS devices and cyberstalking

GPS devices can help keep track of children, pets, keys, and many other items. However, they pose security concerns that many cyberstalkers exploit. For example, nearly one in 10 Americans have had a GPS device such as a smart tag or fitness tracker hacked or tracked without their permission, according to a study conducted by Safehome of more than 1,000 people.

Source: Safehome.org survey of 1,025 Americans

Our study also indicated that 18 percent of Americans own item locators such as AirTags, Tiles, and smart tags. Americans were most concerned about these item locators' security compared to other devices that track location.

Apple and other item locator manufacturers have been somewhat responsive to recent consumer concerns about the safety of these devices, but much damage has been done.

For example, 38 plaintiffs are part of a lawsuit against Apple for failing to prevent stalkers from abusing AirTags to track their locations to devastating effect.¹⁴ According to the suit, these tags can be “a weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers” because

• The $29 price point is easily within reach for many.
• Tags are easy to place or conceal in purses, vehicles, and other places. Offenders have even sown AirTags into clothes linings.
• The products are accurate in tracking locations and easy to use.

U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria said in a hearing that Apple was likely negligent in its design and oversight of AirTags and should have anticipated stalker misuse.¹⁵

Apple has upgraded its tech to send an alert that says “AirTag found moving with you”  if an unauthorized tag tracks an iPhone user. However, opponents say the technology is still not stalker-proof enough. A lawsuit against Amazon, Tile, and Life360 was filed for similar reasons.¹⁶ It alleges negligence, unjust enrichment, privacy violations, and design defects.

How Common is Cyberstalking?

Cyberstalking is a vastly underreported crime. A 2021 review of cyberstalking research noted victimization percentages that ranged from 6.5 percent to nearly 41 percent across various studies.¹⁷ This is a vast range, partly due to differing study methodologies, victim reticence in reporting incidents, and a lack of awareness about the behaviors that constitute cyberstalking.

Today, cyberstalking is more common than traditional (in-person) stalking. Approximately 1.5 million people 16 or older (about 0.6 percent of the U.S. population) were cyberstalking victims in 2019 alone, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).¹⁸ However, more recent figures estimate that as many as 7.5 million people now experience cyberstalking annually.

The BJS report also revealed that

• About 80 percent of all stalking victims experienced cyberstalking (also called tech stalking), while 67 percent experienced traditional stalking. Many victims faced both types.
• Women were more than twice as likely as men to be stalked. About 1.8 percent of women experienced stalking compared with less than one percent of men.
• About 67 percent of victims of both traditional stalking and stalking with technology feared being killed or physically harmed.

According to the same BJS report, 67 percent of the stalking victims knew their stalker, and often it was a current or former intimate partner. Intimate partners were more likely to use both cyber and in-person stalking rather than one approach alone.

For 35 percent of victims dealing with both tech and in-person stalking, the offender was an intimate partner. By comparison, 18 percent of victims dealing with tech stalking alone had an intimate partner as the stalker, while 11 percent did for traditional stalking. Dealing with both types of stalking made someone more than twice as likely to apply for a restraining order or a similar type of order.

Cyberstalking Laws and Criminality

In 1994 the federal government passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). According to the Association of VAWA Administrators, this groundbreaking legislation set the stage for more modern laws protecting people from cyberstalking.¹⁹ President Joe Biden, then a senator from Delaware, introduced the VAWA to his colleagues in Congress.

State governments, though, took the lead in creating laws against cyberstalking. Not long after the invention of the World Wide Web, lawmakers began realizing the need for regulations to protect people in the new frontier of the internet. In 1999, California became the first state to enact digital or cyberstalking laws, and several other states followed their lead soon after.²⁰

What States Have Cyberstalking Laws?

All 50 states have laws prohibiting stalking,²¹ and the laws in 47 states also cover electronic or digital stalking means. Nebraska, New York, and Missouri are the exceptions.²²

Only six states have laws that specifically mention cyberstalking. They are Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, and Rhode Island.

Are There Federal Cyberstalking Laws?

In 2013, Congress amended the federal stalking criminal code first established in the 1996 VAWA to prohibit stalking through electronic or computer communications.²³

Usually, only the most egregious cyberstalking cases get prosecuted, at least on the federal level. At least 11 federal laws can complement local and state efforts or replace them if stalking has occurred across state lines.²⁴ Federal codes may also confer more severe or appropriate punishments.

These federal codes include interstate communications (threats to kidnap or injure another person) and stalking (including cyberstalking). Enhanced penalties can apply for stalkers of children as well as repeat offenders.

412 federal cyberstalking cases were filed between 2010 to 2020. The number of cases increased each year except for a drop from 2019 to 2020.²⁵ According to the Rand Institute, the overall conviction rate was 90 percent on federal cyberstalking cases. The median prison sentence for cyberstalkers convicted was 2.5 years (30 months), while the average was 64 months. For the average victim, cyberstalking lasted 12 months.

Who Is Most Likely To Face Cyberstalking?

Women are more likely than men to experience cyberstalking: One in three women and one in six men experience cyber or in-person stalking at some point in their lives.²⁶ Law enforcement officials explain that some groups experience stalking at higher rates. They include women, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, young adults, and immigrants.

They make popular targets for several reasons, including the perception that they are less likely to report being stalked. For example, a stalker may be threatening to expose someone as gay and might think the victim will keep quiet to avoid exposure. A cyberstalking victim who is multiracial may be hesitant to talk to the police due to previous bad experiences with authorities. Immigrants may also have difficulty reporting cyberstalking due to language barriers or fears of prejudice.

If these victims do report, cyberstalkers may think they are less likely to be taken seriously or believed.

How To Protect Yourself From Cyberstalking

Though it is impossible to altogether avoid cyberstalking, by practicing good digital habits, you can reduce your risk. By recognizing the signs of stalkerware computer programs and hacked home security devices, you can increase your privacy and safety.

Stalkerware programs

It’s important never to underestimate the capabilities of stalkerware. For example, some programs let users access your microphone and camera. Offenders can see and hear what's happening around their victims’ phones. Many programs allow stalkers to see the phone's location and your call record, record phone conversations, access your photos, and read texts and emails.

Your phone may have stalkerware if:

• Your battery drains quickly despite normal usage
• Your data usage spikes without explanation
• Possible cyberstalkers know where you’ve been, with whom, and what you talked about
• Possible cyberstalkers have physical access to your phone

Be cautious about removing stalkerware right away since that can erase evidence and tip someone off. Talking with a domestic violence or crime victims advocate, or the police (if you're comfortable with that) can help you preserve evidence and make a safe escape plan.

Do not contact people for help on a device you suspect has stalkerware. If possible, get a new phone that the stalker won't have access to. If you keep using your current phone, a factory reset may remove the stalkerware.

However, document evidence first, if possible, and back up photos and other material you want to keep. The Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center has logs you can use to do this.

• Be mindful if someone wants to update your phone or fix something on it or if you get a tablet or smartphone as a gift. These are common ways to get stalkerware on a device.
• Use anti-malware programs that can find and remove stalkerware.
• Set your phone to immediately lock when you're not using it.
• Choose a PIN or passcode that your stalker couldn't guess. Don't share it.
• Keep your phone updated to guard against bugs and security holes that stalkers can exploit.

Home security devices

Cyberstalkers can misuse your home security cameras and similar devices. With a few steps, you can minimize the chances of this happening.

• Create new, strong passwords. Don’t rely on the default passwords that came with the devices.
• Set up multifactor authentication where available so devices require more than a password.
• Check for firmware updates regularly and install them.
• Use a strong password and WPA3 encryption, if possible, for your Wi-Fi network.
• Change the default login info and update the router’s firmware regularly.
• Put security cameras and other internet of things (IoT) devices on a separate network for extra protection.
• Disable security camera features you do not need or use.
• Review camera logs often for signs of unauthorized use or suspicious activity.
• Encrypt your cloud storage footage if your cameras use the cloud. Choose reputable, reliable providers.
• Check the camera placement routinely to ensure they’re monitoring the areas you want and haven’t been tweaked to capture other areas.
• Avoid sharing camera access credentials. Check your privacy settings to give control and access to only those needing it.
• When staying at a hotel or short-term rental, inspect the area for hidden cameras or microphones.

Good digital habits to help protect you from cyberstalking

Many best practices for overall digital safety can also help you avoid cyberstalking. Here are some ideas to implement immediately:

• Set up Google Alerts for your name. You’ll receive notifications when new content about you appears online.
• Block people who make you feel unsafe so they cannot view your social media profiles.
• Put a sticker over your phone, webcam, or laptop camera when you're not using it.
• Tell friends not to tag you or “check you in” to different locations on social media. Ask others first before you do the same. They may have partners who are tracking their location.
• Review the privacy settings on your social media accounts often. Keep the circle of people who see your posts as small as possible.
• Refrain from posting any sensitive personal information online. This includes your phone number, home address, childhood pet, and bank name.
• Do not send digital information you would not be okay with others seeing.
• Use strong, unique passwords that combine symbols, letters, and numbers. A password manager can keep everything organized.
• Enable 2FA on your devices. This usually means you’ll get a code to enter with your password when logging into your accounts.
• Update your apps, software, and operating system regularly. Some cyberstalkers can take advantage of bugs and other tech vulnerabilities.
• Before you reply to any messages, make sure they're genuine. This applies to emails from loved ones, banks, stores, or the government. To verify, check if the email address is real and manually type website addresses instead of clicking on links in emails or texts.
• Document cyberstalking incidents and report them to the platform and authorities.

Resources For Cyberstalking Victims

Your partner, ex-partner, or someone else in your life may be digitally abusing or stalking you if they:

• Demand to have the passwords to your online accounts
• Text you constantly and punish you (or threaten to) if you don’t reply
• Examine your phone frequently
• Tell you who you can or can’t be friends with on Facebook and other social media sites
• Send insulting or threatening emails, calls, or messages
• Monitor or tracks you using Facebook or other sites
• Put you down in their social media status updates
• Send unwanted, explicit pictures and demand the same in return.

Cyberstalking is a vastly underreported crime, and this could be due to a lack of awareness of resources available to support victims. If you are being cyberstalked, these are the general steps experts advise you to take.

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• Send the offender one clear, written warning not to contact you again (if the cyberstalking is the contact type, such as through texts, emails, or messages). Do not respond if contact continues.
• Get evidence, for example, by taking screenshots of or printing texts from the cyberstalkers. Screenshots should show the offender's information and the time stamp.
• Contact the National Center for Victims of Crime helpline if you need emotional support or guidance on how to proceed.
• Report the stalking to the appropriate party, for example, the online game, social media platform, or website. If it is school-related, another option is to report it to the school. The same idea applies if the stalking occurs at work. In this case, you can report it to human resources.
• Contact the CyberTipline if the situation involves anyone under 18.
• Reach out to local domestic violence, rape crisis, Family Justice Center, or crime victim service providers. If you do not know where to start, contact VictimConnect, DV Hotline, or RAINN. The Domestic Violence Hotline can refer you to advocates who provide local resources such as shelters and transportation.
• If you need to contact an advocate trained in American Sign Language, contact the 24/7 Deaf ASL Hotline for crisis intervention, safety planning, and more.
• If you have been a crime victim, you can find victim services and other information at the National Center for Victims of Crime.
• Learn about stalking laws and access free resources at the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, & Resource Center.

Citations:

1. Brian Fitzpatrick United States Representative. (2024). Protecting Americans from Cyberstalking.
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