Infidelity may be as old as relationships themselves, but new technology is making it easier to cheat -- and easier to get caught.
According to a new report from the Italian Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, social messaging service WhatsApp is cited in 40% of Italy's divorce cases as evidence against unfaithful partners.
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Gian Ettore Gassani, president of the Italian Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, said the messaging app is one of many new tech tools being used to facilitate infidelity, according to The Times.
"Social media has boosted betrayal in Italy by making it easier, first through texting, then Facebook, and now WhatsApp," Gassani said, according to the British paper, which reported the findings on Monday. WhatsApp "has encouraged the return of the Latin lover," he said.
WhatsApp did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Using the app, cheaters can communicate more easily and maintain several relationships at once, Gassani said.
"Lovers can now exchange risqué photos of themselves, and we have seen adulterers using the service to maintain three or four relationships -- it’s like dynamite."
WhatsApp, which boasts 600 million users, was purchased by Facebook for $19 billion in February. In Italy, 81% of iPhone users make use of the app every month.
A new feature introduced last week allows users to see when messages have been read, making it more difficult for partners to deny having seen texts. Gassani says the best way for unfaithful partners to avoid implicating themselves is to keep their phones on silent.
"My message to adulterers is, ‘Be prudent’, since if it makes betrayal easier, WhatsApp also makes it easier to be caught," he told The Times. "Spouses often become suspicious when they hear the beep of an incoming message."