About Technology Abuse

What is technology abuse?

Technology abuse is a common tactic used by abusers to gain power and control in a relationship. Forms of digital surveillance can be subtle or overt, but will include tactics to monitor you, know your movement, or know who you’re communicating with. Technology abuse can also include an abuser pretending to be someone they’re not and making contact with you online. All forms of unwanted digital communication (through social media, text, voicemail, email, etc.) can be considered technology abuse.

Technology abuse is extremely dangerous because it can be the method an abuser uses to find their victim or to make their victim feel like they're never alone. Because it’s harder to detect than physical abuse, many survivors don’t know to look for it.

What does technology abuse look like?

The following are descriptive examples of technology abuse, which can be triggering and upsetting to read:
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Communicating with you online, such as through social media, phone, text, email, etc. without your consent. This includes trying to reach you through someone else (asking your friend, coworker, child, or family member to reach you on their behalf).
Impersonating someone else online in order to contact you
Impersonating you online
Making someone prove where they are by sending proof of their location
Checking someone's text messages, social media activity, or internet activities
Sending abusive texts, emails or messages
Making excessive calls or sending excessive texts in an effort to reach you
Monitoring your online activities through spyware on your phone or computer
Making continuous controlling or threatening phone calls
Coercing someone under threat of violence to give up a password, code, or other method to gain access to accounts or devices
Forbidding someone from having a phone or limiting who they can contact via phone or internet
Sharing intimate photos of someone without their consent (sometimes called revenge porn)
Putting a GPS tracker on your vehicle and using it to track you
Using smart home devices or wearable tech (like a smart watch or a fitness tracker) to monitor you