The Fappening: Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton nude leak scandal has significantly changed global sexting habits, research claims

Although more people are sexting than ever before, they are more security conscious

‘Sexting’ habits have singificantly changed post The Fappening (AFP/ Getty Images )

The Fappening has significantly changed the way in which we sext, but not the number of us doing it, according to new research.

Three quarters of British men and women have changed their sexting habits after the online scandal, which saw almost 100 celebrities’ private nude photographs hacked, with many taking extra security precautions.

Globally, the number of men sexting has increased by 2.5 per cent, while there has been a nine per cent increase in the number of women sexing over 2014.

Of these women, 72 per cent claimed they were sending and storing their messages more securely. In comparison, 68 per cent of men said they were changing their habits.

The Fappening mainly targeted young female celebrities, including stars such as Kate Upton and Jennifer Lawrence, and prompted a huge discussion over online privacy and protection.

The survey, titled ‘Apps and Appetites’, also found that one in four – 26 per cent of men and 22 per cent of women – had not changed their habits at all, despite the publicity the significant data breaches received.

Almost 75,000 people around the world responded to the survey by AshleyMaddison.com, an extramarital affairs website, examining how technology affected trends in sexual behaviour.

“Technology has revolutionised so many facets of life, including infidelity, that it is no surprise to see habits changing in response to these major violations of individuals’ privacy,” spokesperson for AshleyMadison.com Christoph Kraemer claimed.

But the research also found that two thirds of men and women - despite the online scandal - still sexted with the same frequency, with an overall increase in 2014 of the number of people sexting.

Globally, more women (79.6 per cent) than men (87.2 per cent) say they sext - but in the UK almost 10 per cent fewer women admit to the practise, with a similar proportion of British men sexting.

Almost half of those surveyed also confessed to sexting on the job, with 46 per cent of men (a 2.5 per cent increase) and 40 per cent of women (7.5 per cent increase) admitting to sending sexts during work hours.