May 19, 2014

Cell Phone Location, Privacy and Intimate Partner Violence

May 19, 2014/ Kaofeng Lee

The Domestic Violence Report recently published an article Safety Net wrote on cell phone location privacy and safety. This comprehensive article discusses how cell phone location is misused by abusers to stalk and monitor victims and tips on what victims can do. It explores the different ways cell phone location information can be revealed and concludes with proposed federal legislation on location privacy and best practices for app developers who want to collect location information through their apps. Read the full article.

Meanwhile, here are a few safety tips on what to do if someone is misusing your cell phone location information as a tool to monitor or stalk you.

1. Safety first. If removing the tracking app or turning the phone off may be more dangerous, develop a safety plan regarding how to continue using the phone so that the abuser does not become suspicious. Simultaneously create a plan on how to communicate with others until the program can be removed completely or you’re able to get a new phone.

2. Keep a log. Knowing the pattern of the abusive person’s behavior and what information they seem to know can help the survivor narrow down how the abuser is getting his or her information. Abusers can be creative and can find many ways to monitor and stalk a victim, often using more than one technology or method.

3. Secure your phone. Become familiar with the security settings and put a lock code on the phone.

4. Don’t install unknown apps or programs. Be careful not to install programs that are unknown, especially if the suggested app is from the abuser or mutual friends. Also, be aware of what permissions or access to data on your phone that the app requires before you download.

5. Limit apps that are using your location. Know which applications are using your location and either limit its ability to use your location or delete the app, unless you are confident in what the purpose is and the extent of the sharing and access to your personal information.

6. Use privacy settings. If a location program is already on the phone, the user should learn about its settings and features. Knowing what controls are available may allow for continued use while also maintaining privacy and control.

7. Turn off phone. For short periods of time, a survivor can cut off communication from the phone by putting the phone on airplane mode or turning the phone off and taking out the battery. However, be aware that when the phone is turned back on, all communications will continue and location information may be shared again.

8. Start fresh. When getting a new cell phone, don’t import everything from the old phone to the new one. Porting over all the data may inadvertently install the tracking application as well.

Want a more thorough safety plan? Download our Cell Phone & Location Safety Strategies handout.

April 29, 2014

New Survey: Technology Abuse & Experiences of Survivors and Victim Service Agencies

April 29, 2014/ Kaofeng Lee

In a survey conducted by the Safety Net Project at NNEDV, nearly 90% of programs report that survivors come to them for help after abusers intimidated and made threats via cell phone, text messages and email, and 75% of programs noted that abusers accessed victim’s accounts (email, social media, etc.) without the victim’s consent and oftentimes without their knowledge. Intimidation, threats, and access of information about victims aren’t new tactics within the context of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or trafficking. However, the use of technology as a tool to facilitate these tactics means that the harassment and abuse can be much more invasive, intensive, and traumatizing.

Technology gives abusers more methods of controlling and monitoring victims. Seventy-two percent of programs reported that a survivor’s location is being tracked by smart phones or other devices; more than half of the programs report that survivors are saying abusers are spoofing caller ID (manipulating caller ID so that it appears as though someone other than the abuser is calling); and nearly 70% of programs report that abusers are posting pictures or videos of victims online for the purpose of distressing or harming the victim. Programs also report that survivors are asking for help on how to manage their technology and stay safe while using them. Survivors frequently ask for help with cell phones (71%); followed by how to manage location privacy, whether through cell phones or other location devices (62%), and computer or laptop use (56%).

These two newest infographics show how technology is being misused by abusers against survivors. NNEDV conducted a survey of more than 750 victim service agencies across the United States, including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime. This is one of the most comprehensive reviews of what survivors are telling victim service providers about how abusers misuse technology to harass, stalk, and harm.