A recent survey by Norton has revealed that around 70% of New Zealand singles have had a bad experience when online dating.
Having surveyed a host of Australian and New Zealand singles, Norton revealed some very interesting stats about the experiences of online daters in both countries.
According to the research, almost one quarter of people who had tried online dating, but were no longer on the platforms, had met their partner online.
However, almost 70% of New Zealand online daters reported some kind of negative experience, and in Australia nearly 70% of women said the same thing.
A huge 30% of Australian and 33% of New Zealand women had come across people with “misinterpreted profiles”, the report reveals.
This compares to 23% of men in Australia and 24% in New Zealand who reported the same thing.
Norton also said that 27% of Australian and 30% of New Zealand women had met someone online who claimed to be single, but wasn’t.
It also transpires that 15% of Australian men and 12% of those from New Zealand admitted to having used online dating to find someone else, without their partner’s knowing.
Of those who have a negative experience online, over one third stopped using the app or website related to the encounter, and 6% of Australian and 3% of New Zealand online daters will report an incident to the police.
That said, almost half of people who have a bad experience will just simply move on.
Norton also found that a huge 60% of Australians and New Zealanders feel it is the responsibility of the site or app owner to put in place more protection measures for users.
Norton said: “This number indicates that as with regular dating, online dating has its risks too. When you post something online, it’s out there for everyone to see.
“While there are many genuinely nice men and women out there looking for a soul mate, there are some nefarious characters too. It’s hard to tell who is after what.
“As with anything in life, your first line of defence is your instinct. Be watchful and cautious before you disclose too much of information online.”
To read the full report please click here.