Today, you are inundated with information at your fingertips in the form of social media apps, location tracking and innumerable online resources. Though the digital age gives you the ability to stay connected with friends and family, it also makes you vulnerable to cyberstalking. Essentially a form of online stalking, cyberstalking takes place when someone is spying on you via your social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.). Initially, cyberstalkers seem harmless, only reading Facebook pages, twitter posts or comments. However, spying can quickly escalate to outright harassment by cyberstalkers leaving hostile messages or hacking into your social media accounts. In these worst-case scenarios, you do not want to fear for safety by being vulnerable to cyberstalkers.
Don’t be a Victim
In order to prevent cyberstalking, you must first understand how this form occurs. Unlike what you may assume, cyberstalkers are usually people the victim knows well. In divorce cases, it is common for spouses to spy on each other through social media. Now combing through social media can be helpful to gather information needed to build a divorce case and many advise using social media for that purpose. For example, if your spouse is claiming to have no assets but posts on social media about having expensive items or vacations, those social media posts can become evidence in your divorce case.
However, if one spouse is using a social networking account to threaten, slander or harass, it doesn’t matter if the account is his/her’s, a friend’s or anonymous; that is considered cyberstalking. Other signs of cyberstalking include leaving hostile messages on Facebook, using social media as outlets to slander, gossip or spread lies about you. Another clear indicator of cyberstalking is when the intention is to cause you distress through intimidation, defamation or harassment. If you have experienced some of these signs, then you might have a case of cyberstalking on your hands which is illegal in several states and can be considered a form of domestic violence.
Know your Rights
If you are in the middle of a divorce and believe you are a victim of cyberstalking, consider consulting a Family Law attorney in Orange County, Buncher Family Law. Knowledgeable in the complexity of family law and mindful of the additional stressors cyberstalking may cause, Buncher Law will assist you in the best course of action for cyberstalking such as filing for restraining orders. Here, at Buncher Family Law, stalking is taken very seriously and will be dealt with accordingly so that you will find a resolution safe and stress-free.