(This post is written and made possible by Techwarn, founded in March 2014 by a team of passionate bloggers as a website featuring the latest tech news from around the world. We are grateful for this post especially that it can help domestic violence survivors learn how they can protect themselves online.)
Domestic violence is not an isolated incident to only one part of the world. Sadly, it is ravaging a lot of homes and relationships even around us today.
The worst part of it all is that abusers seem to be finding new ways to keep their victims under their control. From extreme monitoring to cutting off the victim’s access to a possible support network, the possibilities are almost endless.
If you are a victim – or have been one – of domestic violence, this does not have to become your new reality.
In this piece, we discuss the use of technology to protect domestic violence survivors and victims, among other things.
Preventing Surveillance
It is not uncommon for abusers to just show up to where their victims are, unannounced. This becomes creepier when the victim/ survivor does not remember ever sharing information about where they are with the abuser.
This is, sometimes, a psychologically tactic used by the abuser to make the victim feel powerless. After all, the survivor/ victim in this case would feel like they cannot outrun their abuser, no matter how much they try.
This is not true, though.
As long as you do not have anyone in your circle funneling the abuser with your movements, they could be using technology against you. Some things that you can do right now are:
- Turning off the location settings on your smartphone and other devices. The abuser could have synced up your device location to theirs so that they can know where you are at all times.
- Delete suspicious apps on your phone, especially if you do not remember installing them. They could be silent trackers/ parental control apps that are used to approximate your location at all times.
- Be careful of what you share on social media. Some social media pictures can be used to identify landmarks around where you are, giving off your location. Likewise, make sure your social media apps are not sharing your location information either.
- Have your car checked for trackers. It is recommended to take your car to an expert for this. Since trackers can be so small that they are hidden in inconspicuous areas, go for a thorough check.
- Get your phones/ laptops/ other devices checked for physical trackers too. This is especially important if these devices have ever been taken away from you in the past under the guise of getting a repair done, seizure, etc.
Communicating Safely
One of the many tactics that abusers employ is to ensure their victims cannot reach out to anyone for help.
Even though an abuser might seem like they have all the power, that is not true. Their only power is in isolation – and the support system of the abused person not knowing about what is going on. Thus, you have more power over them than they are letting on.
The problem here is that you might not be able to get any text/ call out without the abuser knowing about it. In that case, you can employ any of the following systems:
- Get a burner phone. Make sure this phone is well hidden too. It will be your go-to communication device with your support network as you plan to get out of the relationship.
- Go for encrypted communication channels. Examples of these are WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, and Signal. With their end-to-end encryption systems, you are not at risk of getting your chats broken into from a remote location.
- Never trust free or public Wi-Fi networks when communicating. Most of these networks are unencrypted and will leave you exposed to anyone who knows how to snoop around your internet data. If you must use an unencrypted network, make sure your connection is layered over a VPN.
- When browsing the internet, opt for an incognito mode of browsing instead. This way, you don’t have to worry about not clearing your browser history, getting your session logged, etc. You can pair your browsers with a VPN for an advanced level of data encryption and security too.
- Create a fresh email account for mail communications. Make sure this email account is never kept logged in. Only log in when you want to use it.
- Use public computers (in the library or an internet café) for highly-sensitive conversations.
Establishing Financial Independence
Still, on the side of control, it is not out of place for abusers to take control of their victim’s finances. This makes it harder to escape. After all, the victim is left cash-strapped if they do escape.
Even before escaping, they might not be able to put some things in order for themselves.
Everything, in this sense, hinges around money.
The banking model of nowadays is not helping matters either. All financial standings will have your name associated with them. Thus, it becomes easier for the abuser to know where their victim might hold anything of value.
Once again, though, technology steps up to make things easier for the soon-to-be survivor:
- Keep your bank accounts in your name. Ask your bank how easy it could be for a relative/ family member to take over your account. That should prepare you for circumstances when the abuser might want to make such moves
- Desist from using internet banking/ phone banking services. That way, your accounts are insulated from impersonation
- Don’t use cards. If you must get a card, make sure it is linked to your least funded account at any one time.
- Never subscribe to the idea of joint bank accounts. You might find it very difficult to access or lay claim to the money when you finally escape the relationship
- Put some money away slowly but steadily over time. In a little time, you will have a good stash of cash to make your first moves with
- If you are familiar with cryptocurrency, you can hold some of your money there. Since they are practically untraceable and anonymous, they provide a hedge to fall back too. The good news is that cryptocurrency also allows you to move your money across borders easily.
Documentation
All abusers should pay for what they have done, but we don’t want you to take the law into your hands either.
Unfortunately, most cases of domestic violence do not progress as they should under the legal system. This is usually because of a lack of evidence to support the claims. This should not be your portion.
Likewise, you can also leverage technology to stay documented for your own sake. Let’s see some of the ways to make these happen:
- Create a cloud storage folder with your new, secret email address (suggested above)
- Document all proofs of abuse (physical or otherwise) in the cloud folder. This will help you to create a stronger case to ensure that the abuser is brought to book and made to face the wrath of the law for their actions.
- Scan important documents (certificates, travel documents, licenses, receipts, etc.) and store a copy of them in your cloud folders. Doing so ensures the abuser cannot keep you under their thumb by holding on to a document of importance
Post-Escape Tips
When you finally get out of the relationship, you still have some work to do.
These days, the claims of technology-enabled domestic abuse are on the rise.
A roundup of the things to do as soon as you get out are:
- Changing your contact details: this will ensure your abuser does not get to reach you anymore. Share the new contact details with only your close friends and family. You can also choose to simply block them on all channels (social media, calls, text, etc.)
- Change your passwords: most abusers know the passwords of their victims. They can hold this over your head in retaliation. It is not uncommon for abusers to send distasteful emails to the victim’s employers, post explicit content on social media, etc. All these while impersonating the victim too.
- Leave behind any devices that the abuser might have bought for you. This could be a phone, laptop, smartwatch, etc. That way, they cannot report a theft with the police since they would be right. Remember to do a security wipe of the devices before you leave them though.
- Form a support network that you can reach out to in times of emergency. Once the abuser knows that you are never alone, they are less inclined to seek you out again.
- Get in touch with a legal advisor/ relevant authority to build a case of domestic violence. This can earn you anything from a restraining order against the abuser to varying levels of judicial rulings against them.
Wrap Up
Domestic violence is never not ugly, and our heart goes out to everyone who is, or has been, in such a situation. Employing the tips in this guide, we believe it would become easier to leave the undesirable situation – and do so safely too.
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Techwarn.com showcases the latest tech news, reviews, and downloads with coverage of entertainment, gadgets, security, enthusiast gaming, hardware, software and consumer electronics. Techwarn has since grown to become a digital safety advocate, warning tech users of the dangers in the digital world and empowering users to take control of their digital lives.
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