By Jennifer Reed, Head of the Policy Impact Unit at University College London
New powers come into force this week, allowing Ofcom to issue large fines to tech companies that are not removing illegal content, such as child sexual abuse or terrorism material, from their sites.
While this change is welcome, and desperately overdue, concerns are again – quite rightly – being raised about gaps in the current approach to online safety and other forms of technology-facilitated abuse.
One such gap, is how ‘smart’ internet-connected devices are being used by perpetrators of domestic abuse to stalk, monitor, harass, control, or otherwise abuse victim-survivors.
Through our research, and partnerships with domestic abuse organisations, we have seen AirTags and other location tracking devices be used to track someone’s location, hidden cameras used to spy on them without their knowledge, or stalkerware unknowingly installed on their devices to monitor all their communications. We also regularly see abuse through ‘smart’ appliances such as smart locks or smart fridges, controlling when someone can leave the house or when they can eat.
How is tech used to abuse?
Technology offers new means by which perpetrators can conduct their abuse – but this is not limited to personal devices. Devices issued by employers, or digital services and spaces offered or created by employers, can be abused in much the same way and present just as much of a risk factor.
Work laptops, phones, or even vehicles can be used for digital surveillance and stalking. This can include accessing GPS location settings or unauthorised access to work calendars to enable stalking during, or outside of, work hours. It could include exploitation of workplace devices such as accessing security cameras to watch individuals, or the monitoring of communications by a controlling partner who is accessing work emails and messages.
Critically, while tech enabled abuse is most associated with domestic abuse, it can be carried out by managers, clients, other employees, third parties, or even strangers. Abuse, and abusive relationships, are not limited to intimate partner relationships by any means.
The rapid evolution of technology is also changing the forms that tech enabled abuse may take. For example, the increasing ease of access to deepfake technology enhances the threat of image-based abuse, such as manipulated images of colleagues which are shared (or threatened to be shared) in professional contexts or on professional networks. This technology may also make it far easier for individuals to impersonate employees, including through deepfake voice or video technology which is increasingly hard to detect, and may make it easier for abusers to override security settings and access devices.
That said, the majority of abuse still tends to be carried out by everyday tech or devices – namely mobile phones, emails or messaging platforms. It is not uncommon for victim-survivors, including those who are seeking to leave an abusive relationship, to be bombarded with messages and calls, with perpetrators going to extreme lengths to try and maintain contact. Tech also enables this harassment to be carried out anonymously, such as posing as potential clients under a false identity.
The personal and professional impacts of tech enabled abuse
The effects of this abuse on the individuals involved can be devastating.
The response to tech enabled abuse is, sadly, often also lacking. Those who seek help often feel that tech enabled abuse is not taken as seriously as ‘physical’ abuse, and they are commonly advised to change their own behaviour (when they have done nothing wrong). This includes being told to delete their social media, change their number, and make sure there are no photos of them online. This creates major issues for people in their personal and professional lives. For many, having an online presence and being contactable, is critical to their career. No one should have to choose between having a career and being safe.
Impacting careers in this way, by sabotaging an online professional presence, can be part of a broader pattern of economic abuse – which restricts the resources or ability that a victim-survivor has to leave an abusive relationship.
There are a multitude of ways in which tech could be misused to enable this economic sabotage, from manipulation of online work schedules, timesheets, or reporting systems by an abuser to create problems at work – to switching off internet access when an employee is meant to be working remotely, speaking with colleagues, or delivering important pieces of work critical to their career.
How can employers help?
The first step is to understand the severity and breadth of tech abuse and how it can manifest in the workplace.
Employers can play a proactive role, as they are well positioned to support victims of tech enabled abuse in certain situations – such as identifying stalkerware or spyware which has been added to work devices, or creating a safe space at work where victim- survivors can access help. Equally, when employer responses fail or are inadequate, this can create secondary trauma for individuals or increase the risk they face.
Points to consider:
- Updating workplace policies to explicitly include technology-facilitated abuse, including in harassment and acceptable use policies.
- Review workplace technology to ensure there are appropriate access controls, authentication measures, and privacy settings in place, and a safety-by-design approach to workplace technology with regular audits and assessment of emerging technology trends.
- Educate colleagues on privacy protection, digital ethics, and how to recognise signs of abuse – for line managers and IT staff as a minimum. Ensure colleagues understand the need, and how, to preserve digital evidence to support investigations and when to involve the police. Where appropriate, bystander intervention training for digital contexts could be offered.
- Create a supportive culture so that abuse can be reported and responded to effectively, ensuring the advice and support given to the individual prioritises their safety and – where relevant – does not impact their career. A workplace culture that rejects digital harassment should encourage a culture of reporting without fear of retaliation, and ensure the root causes are tackled with a focus on perpetrator behaviour and consistent enforcement of policies. Offer workplace accommodations to support victim-survivors, and use specialist services where needed.
Tech enabled abuse is a workplace safety issue. The responsibility to offer a safe work environment doesn’t end at the office door, and we must do more as employers – and society – to tackle this heinous and increasingly common form of domestic abuse.
About the author
Jennifer Reed is Head of the Policy Impact Unit at UCL, and part of the Gender and Tech Research Lab who study the intersection of gender, technology and society. The Lab has a particular focus on domestic abuse, and has recently concluded a global study on how tech enabled abuse can be conceptualised and measured.
More information on this study, other research, and the Lab’s upcoming 2026 Tech Abuse Conference – please visit Gender + Tech and sign up to their monthly newsletter here.
