24 Sep Could your phone be used to control you? Check these signs of technology-facilitated abuse
Location sharing, shared passwords and connected devices are now part of everyday family life. But when technology is used to monitor, intimidate or control someone, it can become a form of abuse — and new Australian research suggests many people may not recognise it.
Technology-facilitated abuse can involve smartphones, apps, social media, online accounts and other digital devices being used to monitor, harass, threaten or control another person.
Examples include tracking someone’s location without consent, monitoring messages or social media accounts, installing spyware, controlling access to devices or repeatedly demanding passwords.
A new UNSW study has highlighted how difficult this form of abuse can be to identify — and how little practical information is readily available to people looking for help.
Researchers examined more than 52,000 webpages across 306 Australian government, non-government and commercial websites containing information about domestic and family violence, online safety or digital abuse. They found less than one per cent of abuse-related pages addressed issues such as covert surveillance, financial abuse and longer-term controlling behaviour.
When ordinary technology becomes controlling
Sharing a phone plan, knowing a partner’s password or using location sharing is not automatically concerning. The important issue is consent and control.
Dr Rahat Masood from the UNSW Institute for Cyber Security says people do not always realise that what they are experiencing is abuse.
“Any form of harassment, or any form of control over someone’s device or internet use, is technology-facilitated abuse,” she says.
Warning signs might include a partner knowing where you have been without being told, accessing private conversations, insisting on having passwords, restricting access to devices or accounts, or using technology to control money.
The eSafety Commissioner similarly lists cyberstalking, monitoring online activity, restricting access to technology and accessing banking or social media accounts among possible signs of tech-based abuse.
Why it can be difficult to spot
Digital abuse can be particularly complicated when accounts, phones, internet services or smart-home systems are in one person’s name.
UNSW Associate Professor Kayleen Manwaring says this can make legal and practical responses difficult, even where technology is clearly being used as part of controlling behaviour.
Researchers also found that people searching online for help are often given broad digital-safety advice rather than information tailored to particular forms of abuse.
If something doesn’t feel right
If you think someone may be monitoring your phone or accounts, it can be tempting to immediately change passwords, remove an app or switch off location sharing.
However, eSafety warns that suddenly changing technology settings can sometimes alert an abusive person and potentially increase risk. Using a device the other person cannot access and seeking specialist advice first may be safer.
1800RESPECT also recommends considering whether the device you are using is safe before searching for information or help, particularly if another person has had access to it.
Technology itself is not the problem. Location sharing, family accounts and connected devices can be convenient and useful. The warning sign is when they stop being shared tools and become a way for one person to watch, frighten or control another.
Need help?
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence, 1800RESPECT provides 24-hour support on 1800 737 732. If there is immediate danger, call 000.
Not confident with technology? How to check if your phone may be monitored
If you are worried someone may be monitoring your phone, you do not need to work it out alone.
Look for simple warning signs such as an unfamiliar app, unusually fast battery drain, unexpected tracking alerts or someone seeming to know information you have not shared.
If possible, use a different phone or computer to ask a trusted person or support service for help checking your accounts and device settings.
On an iPhone, Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check can show who and what has access to your information.
If you suspect an abusive partner may be monitoring you, avoid suddenly deleting apps, resetting the phone or changing all your settings before getting advice, as this may alert them.
