I recently watched a documentary that focused on the worrying use of young couples using stalkerware to monitor and control their partners. It left me feeling rather thankful that smartphones and the likes of tracking apps weren't a thing back when I was younger and actively dating. For the purpose of the documentary, the partner of the young female presenter had consented to stalkerware being installed on his smartphone. Over the course of a fortnight, the presenter had used the stalkerware to view what her partner had been looking at online, the content of messages he had sent and received, and had also been able to listen to his phone calls. In addition, the stalkerware had programmed the smartphone to take photos every fifteen minutes.
At the end of the fortnight, the presenter invited her partner to view and listen to everything the stalkerware had captured. He had considered himself to be tech-savvy and clued-up, but even he had to admit that it was a shock to discover what the stalkerware had been capable of. The presenter stated that she could understand why it might give someone a buzz and become addictive for a person to see where their partner was via location sharing, but also realised just how easily it could be taken out of context by a controlling and suspicious partner.
I don't know what the law is in other countries, but in the UK it's a criminal offense to install stalkerware apps on someone's smartphone without their knowledge and consent.
During the documentary, there had been footage of a video by a misogynistic online influencer. He was of the view that if a woman ends a relationship to embark on a relationship with another man, it's because the former partner hasn't abused her enough. I do not know of any woman or man on this planet who has ever left an abusive relationship due to it not being abusive enough. At the grand old age of 51, I consider myself lucky to have never been in an abusive relationship, and I'm very much hoping it stays that way.
