Refuge's Tech Safety Newsletter July 2024
General election 2024
Refuge’s policy and campaigns team was busy in the lead-up to the general election, producing a Refuge manifesto and a guide for survivors who want to register anonymously. Our manifesto called for political parties to address new and emerging forms of tech abuse and online harms and to take decisive action to ensure the safety of women and girls online. You can read more about the manifesto, which we’ll be using to engage the new government, here.
We also launched an open letter to the new prime minister, asking him to prioritise tackling violence against women and girls. Please sign the open letter to make sure the new government acts to end domestic abuse!
Children, Technology & Tech Facilitated Abuse
What online sites children use, how much time children spend online, who children are speaking to online, are all issues on the forefront of many parents’ minds. Indeed, 68% of parents said they worried about how much time their children spend online (Internet matters) whilst these issues are discussed frequently in different media outlets.
However, the fact that children’s devices and accounts can be used to perpetrate abuse, is not talked of as much, but is an ever-growing issue. A recent small-scale study in Australia found that 27% of domestic violence cases involve abuse of children through technology, which speaks the prevalence of this issue. It also, found that tech is often used as a way manipulate, bribe or harass children.
Whilst not designed for the purposes of abuse, many children’s accounts and devices are misused by perpetrators. We’ll look at some common concerns that involve children’s tech:
Toys
Whilst speakers will always be popular with children, many children’s gadgets can connect to the internet, play music or videos and allow children to socialise via the internet. Moreover, Ofcom found that more than 8 in 10 children use smart speakers and there is a huge market for kids speakers. Unfortunately, this has opened another door for abusers into the family home and is another means to exert power and control over the family. Abusers can use the latest toys to manipulate or bribe children, as well as using toys to spy on the children via video, listen to conversations inside the home or even reveal the new safe location of the survivor. It’s important to be aware of the features a new toy or gadget has especially if it has been gifted by the perpetrator.
Parental controls & Devices
Parental controls were designed to share passkeys, monitor children’s transactions and restrict the times that a child can spend online. However, in the wrong hands, parental controls can give an abuser a huge amount of access to a child’s device, revealing location, conversations and messages and even stopping a device from being used efficiently. A device with parental control can also be extremely difficult to reset and make safe.
It's also important to consider who bought a device for a child and who set up a device. Even without parental control, if an abuser has access to the device’s main account, this could also give the perpetrator many ways to abuse survivors and children.
Banking
A recent survey found that 3 in 5 children (61%) use a banking app to manage their money. Whilst banking apps can be a good way to teach financial literacy, a perpetrator could misuse these apps.
Transaction list may be visible to an abuser with access to the app. This could reveal the location of where a child frequently spends money, including local shops and train stations, revealing where the child lives. Freezing a card could allow perpetrator to stay in control of the child. Survivors should be aware of the features of different banking apps as well as who can access and how to secure the app.
Gaming
Gaming can be fun and can be a way for children learn cooperation and teamwork. However, gaming can pose issues for survivors and their children. Game consoles can have serial numbers which can be traced by perpetrators as well as accounts which can have financial information stored in them.
Additionally, it’s common for gamers to play as part of an online team. Abusers have posed as online friends to contact their children through gaming platforms, often to extract information from the child, sometimes compromising a safe location. Ensuring that children are gaming safely and that children know about the risks of gaming is hugely important.
Social media
With Ofcom reporting that some children as young as 5-7 have social media account, it’s clear children’s social media should be part of safety planning. Just as we speak to adult survivors about what they share and who they are speaking to on social media, this also applies to children as well. Ofcom also found that children often had multiple accounts for the same social media platforms, usually one for friends or hobbies and one for family. Speaking to children about their social media use and what they are sharing online is hugely important, as well being aware that they have more than one account.
Despite the risks, there are ways for children to use their accounts and devices safely.
What a survivor can do:
-Research devices and apps to understand their features.
-Discuss internet safety with children especially- what they are sharing online and who they are communicating with.
-Play your child’s favourite game with them to encourage communication about technology.
-Check settings on an apps or devices to see who has access to the accounts.
-Ensure that devices and apps are secure with a strong password.
-Check to see if a device can be reset, muted or set up with another account.
Just like survivors, children should also have the right to have an online life without being subjected to abuse or manipulation. Being aware of some of the issues round children’s accounts and devices can help ensure the safety of survivors and their children.
Tech Safety Summit
Refuge is pleased to be hosting the Tech Safety Summit 2024, with key speakers already being announced, get more information and sign up here.