How tech plays a role in domestic abuse

Your romantic partner or a close family member asks you to share your smartphone PIN or email password with them. Would you do it?For many Indians, exchanging personal information and security credentials is nothing out of the ordinary. For example, adults routinely manage their elderly parents’ finances online. Parents often use trackers or adult-managed apps to supervise their children’s phone use and ensure their safety. Couples might be operating a common social media channel from separate devices. Family members living together are likely to share phones, computers/laptops, cars, streaming app passwords, mobile/internet service plans, and access to smart devices.However, the same data and gadgets shared amongst loved ones can just as easily be misused to carry out abuse.For example, an adult controlling their elderly parents’ finances can steal their savings or damage their credit score. Or: a parent can track even their adult children via their devices in order to stalk them or isolate them from friends. Or: a romantic partner can misuse a shared social media app to control their partners’ posts or even share content that hurts the other person. Or: an abusive family member can cut off access to smart home devices (lights, refrigerators, heaters, etc.) and WiFi in order to exert control over their partner and children.Abuse need not always take extreme forms, however. An adult pressuring an (adult) family member or partner to show them private texts, social media profiles, photos, etc. can also be considered abusive.These acts, along with a range of others, fall under a category known as digital domestic abuse.Domestic abuse versus digital domestic abuseDigital abuse or cyber crimes generally involve perpetrators virtually targeting another person with the help of technology. The cyber criminal and the victim may not know each other or even be located in the same country. In such cases, victims can secure their digital accounts, get in touch with their bank, and/or freely reach out to the police for assistance.However, digital domestic abuse comes with added complications as the abuser and their victim might be living together and sharing custody of children/pets.The victim may also be financially dependent on their abuser, who is either a family member or a partner, making it difficult for them to find a safe place or communicate with trusted people. Digital domestic abuse may also happen alongside physical, sexual, and emotional abuse,Furthermore, the household devices may be compromised if their abuser knows all their passwords or uses spyware/stalkerware to surveil the victim’s interactions with others.In such cases, victims need to be tech-savvy in order to access helpful resources or alert loved ones to their situation.Child rearing or child abuse?Technology companies offer a range of software and hardware solutions aimed at parents trying to keep their children safe.Parental controls built into phones can help guardians restrict their children’s screen time while downloadable tracking apps show where children are going throughout the day. Meanwhile, physical trackers (such as AirTags) and CCTV technology can also be used to track children’s movements.What’s more, many adults see nothing wrong in using disguised or hidden cameras to remotely monitor their young children’s interactions with babysitters, or their sleeping patterns.For this reason, digital domestic abuse can be a grey area where young people are concerned. While a parent is well within their rights to take away a phone from a six-year-old child and check their browsing history and messages for safety reasons, this could be considered an act of domestic abuse in the case of a sixteen-year-old.With regards to children, the question of whether an act constitutes digital domestic abuse or not has less to do with the technology in question and more to do with whether or not the child understands how they are being monitored.Tech abuse targeting eldersSenior citizens often depend on their younger, more tech-native relatives for help with managing their bank accounts, payment apps, medical screenings, scheduled appointments, travel needs, and even their basic device updates. Though many service providers have simplified their procedures in an effort to make them user-friendly, elderly people often find it easier to simply hand over their passwords and credentials to trusted caretakers.Other senior citizens may be coping with disabilities, age-related health conditions, forgetfulness, or cognitive conditions, making it impossible for them to take ownership of their accounts and devices.While senior citizens are often targeted by unknown scammers and fraudsters, they are also highly vulnerable to digital domestic abuse. Elders can quickly lose control of their finances and home ownership rights, becoming completely dependent on their caretakers in order to have their basic needs met.Domestic abusers may also illegally surveil elders via cameras or phone monitoring apps without their knowledge or consent, thus exploiting their lack of knowledge about technology. Physical abuse, sexual assault, emotional abuse, or abuse by neglect, may also take place alongside digital abuse. How to prevent digital domestic abuse Create a list of trusted people who can be relied on for help, and agree upon a secret, verbal “password” to indicate distress Educate children and elders about digital safety, the importance of keeping passwords private, and their right to privacy Have a discussion with young people about maintaining appropriate tech boundaries in relationships and the importance of separating finances Parents and older children can agree on acceptable levels of screen controls and location tracking in order to use technology safely Report digital domestic abuse to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal Visit libraries, schools, universities, hospitals, or hotels in order to use their computers, access WiFi, and search for help online in private Remember to clear your/your loved one’s browsing history after looking up help pages for domestic abuse survivors Keep a log of how your digital rights are being violated, in order to present this to the law enforcement officers at a later date