Exploring Gender Disparities in Experiences of Being Hacked Using Twitter Data: A Focus on the Third-Level Digital Divide

Abstract

Despite millions of hacked accounts fueling cybercrime, research on the hacking experience, particularly sociodemographic aspects, remains sparse. This study examines the experience of being hacked with a focus on gender disparities from the perspective of the third-level digital divide—socially constructed gaps of digital use outcomes even among users with similar digital access and skills. Analyzing 13,731 Twitter mentions of accounts being hacked, using topic modeling and classifying the gender of 12,586 users, we showed that women reported more experiences of being hacked across all types of online services except gaming. Women were more likely to experience negative consequences of being hacked, including reputational harm, money loss, and having personalized content modified. Gender differences were also found in coping strategies. Men were more likely to use active strategies like warning others, rebuilding accounts, and deducing hackers’ origins, while women were more likely to seek help from others to recover or report experiencing hacked accounts. The findings of this study imply the need for further research into the gendered experiences of being hacked from the third-level digital divide perspective, alongside the development of interventions to mitigate harm and empower users with diverse needs to cope with being hacked.