Addressing Technology Misuse in the Context of Sexual Assault

Two new resources from Safety Net discuss Technology Misuse in Sexual Assault, and offer advocates and others working with survivors a tool for Assessing Technology Misuse and Privacy Concerns.

As technology becomes woven into every aspect of society, offenders misuse the technology in sexual assault. Just as the dynamics of sexual assault differ from domestic violence, the misuse of technology looks different when sexual assault occurs outside of an intimate partner relationship.

• A youth group leader might misuse online communities to groom victims.
• A supervisor might threaten to change an employee’s file in a company database.
• A caretaker might limit access to help-seeking through technology.
• A medical provider might threaten to share embarrassing information or images gathered in the course of treatment.
• Surveillance cameras and security could be misused by a landlord to gain footage of or access to a victim.
• A law enforcement officer could misuse a database to target potential victims.

More understood examples include the explosion in the production and sharing of child pornography, or nonconsensual sharing of intimate images or footage of sexual assault of adults over the Internet.

Privacy Concerns

In addition, sexual assault cases in the public eye can generate distressing comments on news stories and social media, and some survivors may become the target of online harassment, doxing or other retaliation.

Technology and Root Causes

Online spaces amplify existing attitudes and beliefs, and so can support rape culture through memes, viral posts, revenge porn sites, etc. At the same time, online advocacy and activism efforts have used online spaces to counter rape culture through awareness, events, bystander intervention and more.

NNEDV Resource Highlight: Safety on Social Media

It’s Social Media Day!

Technology, including social media, has a major impact on survivors of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, and dating violence. While it can be used to access resources, remain connected to family and friends, and hold offenders accountable, it can also be misused by perpetrators to abuse, harass, stalk, and harm victims. 

NNEDV’s Safety Net project provides resources for survivors to recognize signs of technology-facilitated abuse, increase safety online, and learn about legal actions that can be taken against technology misuse.

Learn more about the ways that survivors can increase safety on social media:

• Facebook: We worked with Facebook to create A Guide to Staying Safe on Facebook, a summary that provides quick and easy explanations of important settings to increase privacy and security. The Safety & Privacy on Facebook: A Guide for Survivors of Abuse, a more detailed resource, provides step-by-step assistance to users who are experiencing harassment or concerned about their privacy and safety. This resource is available in over 10 different languages, including Spanish, French, Arabic, Urdu, Tamil, Chinese, Vietnamese, and more!

• Twitter: We worked with Twitter to create Safety & Privacy on Twitter: A Guide for Survivors of Harassment and Abuse. The guide walks users through safety tips to increase privacy and explains several features. Safety Net is currently in the process of working with Twitter to updated this so stay tuned for a new version too! 

• YouTube: New tools (released in December 2016) are aimed at increasing safety and curbing harassment on the platform. Learn more from our blog post.

• Learn more about Stalking and Social Media: Our Safety Net team participated in a Q&A about stalking and social media with the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.

• Snapchat: In case you missed it, Snapchat’s new feature shares your location every time you snap. Learn more about going into “Ghost Mode” to prevent this.

• Legal Information: Our WomensLaw project provides tips on safety with social media and internet security. Additionally, WomensLaw details legal responses to technology misuse, including the differences between criminal and civil court cases, and how each addresses technology misuse.

When in doubt, download our Tech Safety App! 

The Tech Safety App helps users identify and address technology-facilitated abuse, including the misuse of social media. Download it from Google Play and the iTunes App Store – it’s free! (We will also be launching a Spanish version of this app in July!)

If you have additional questions about helping survivors stay safe on social media – or any other technology safety questions, please reach out to our Safety Net team: safetynet@nnedv.org.

Do I REALLY Need to Worry About My Password? (Spoiler Alert: Yes!)

Passwords have become such a regular part of our daily lives that it’s easy to forget about the importance of making sure they’re secure. We generally only think about password security when we’ve gotten a notice that one of our accounts has been compromised, or when we’ve forgotten our current password and have to make a new one. Rather than seeing them as a main line of defense against prying eyes, it’s easy to get into the habit of just being annoyed that we need them in the first place. 

This month, we’re taking a fresh look at password security, and the particular ways that survivors of domestic violence can use password security to protect their privacy and increase their safety. Check out our new resource “Passwords: Simple Ways to Increase Your Security” to learn more!