The Domestic Abuse Act fails to fully recognize the danger of technology-facilitated abuse, according to a Lords select committee. Jen Reed, head of policy at University College London’s Gender and Tech Research Lab, said tech abuse has become “increasingly prevalent” and “very commonplace now within a domestic abuse context“.
Reed called for the inclusion of tech abuse in the statutory definition of domestic abuse, stating that “tech abuse is just as devastating as physical abuse”. She cited examples of stalkerware and spyware installed on people’s phones, as well as the use of tracking devices and smart home devices to control and abuse individuals.
Technology-facilitated abuse, or tech abuse, refers to the use of digital devices and platforms to harass, stalk, monitor, control, and abuse an individual. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 created a statutory definition of domestic abuse that includes physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behavior, coercive and controlling behavior, economic abuse, and psychological or emotional abuse.
However, tech abuse is not explicitly mentioned in the definition, although cases may fall under the category of coercive and controlling behavior. A report by the cybersecurity company Kaspersky found that 45% of respondents globally had experienced tech abuse in the past 12 months.
Reed told the committee that the lack of reference to tech abuse in the definition means it is often treated as a peripheral or siloed issue. She stated that tech abuse is “massively used for coercive control”, but is still being treated as an online safety issue rather than a core aspect of domestic abuse.
A UK-wide poll by Refuge in March found that young people were less likely to spot the signs of abuse than other age groups. A study by the Youth Endowment Fund found that 19% of teenagers surveyed said their partners had tracked their phone, and 14% had tracked their location.
Reed said that the normalization of tech abuse is a major concern, particularly among young people. She stated that parents who monitor their children’s location for safety may inadvertently contribute to the normalization of tracking behavior in intimate relationships.
The Domestic Abuse Act was amended in 2022 to include statutory guidance on tech abuse, but Reed argued that more needs to be done to recognize the dangers of tech abuse and provide adequate support for victims.
According to the report by Kaspersky, tech abuse can take many forms, including the use of stalkerware and spyware to monitor and control individuals. Reed emphasized the need for frontline services to recognize tech abuse as a core aspect of domestic abuse and provide adequate support for victims.
In response to the concerns raised by Reed, the committee is considering ways to improve the recognition and response to tech abuse in the context of domestic abuse. This may involve amendments to the Domestic Abuse Act or additional guidance for frontline services, ultimately giving individuals the right to choice and control over their own lives.
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