New Study Finds Unprotected Sexting is Rife Among Millennials
50 Percent of Consumers Don’t Use Secure Messaging Apps Despite Widespread Concerns about Privacy
New York – May 21, 2015 – Forty-six percent of millennials have sent “sext” messages via mobile devices, but only five percent of them use apps that protect their privacy, according to a new study released by Raketu, developer of RakEM, the world’s most secure, private and encrypted communications application. The study also found that 72 percent of millennials have sent text messages and then regretted it, with the most prevalent reasons due to emotion or anger (almost 56 percent) or accidentally (43 percent).
The independent study of 1000 consumers was commissioned by Raketu, and reveals how Americans are concerned about the privacy of their mobile communications but are either not taking steps to protect themselves or have false assumptions about the messaging apps they are using.
Privacy Concerns
The study found that more than 40 percent of people aged 30-44 are moderately to extremely concerned that their private texts or calls might be seen or heard by others. Nearly 74 percent of 18-29 year olds are concerned that the government has access to the info on their mobile device.
Risky Assumptions
Consumers unanimously assume that the information on their mobile devices is secure, with phone calls considered the most private (67 percent). Despite these concerns, just 50 percent take proactive measures to ensure their privacy, using messaging apps that allege to offer encryption and security (many of which have already been hacked, are insecure and do not support adequate encryption). And even though Facebook publicly states it collects data about users, 42 percent stated they use Facebook Messenger for its privacy. Additionally, 60 percent said they’d be eager to use a messaging/voice calling app if it truly guaranteed their privacy.
“It is clear that mobile users are putting themselves at risk through sexting and other regrettable activities, and generally assuming that their communications are protected – when that’s clearly not the case,” explained Greg Parker, president and CEO, Raketu. “What’s more, we learned that they’d feel violated, angry, scared, and embarrassed should their photos, texts, and calls be hacked or shared without their permission. This study exposes an urgent need for education among consumers on how best to safeguard their mobile communications and that the claims of encryption by many are not necessarily true.”
About Raketu Communications Inc.
Raketu Communications Inc. is developing leading edge device-to-device direct Internet protocol applications that provide secure communications services for consumers and for business across mobile devices, tablet, desktops and laptops. The company currently has users in over 150 countries around the world. For more information visit the company's website at http://www.Raketu.com.
Raketu is a registered trademark of Raketu Communications Inc.
