Over recent years, Refuge's Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment team has been increasingly supporting survivors experiencing harm through the misuse of smart technology in the home.

Drawing on the insight from our frontline work and expertise, we are taking these concerns directly to decision-makers, technology companies, and academics to inform understanding of how smart technology is being used to enable and extend domestic abuse - and how this must be addressed.

As part of this work, we are excited to be included in the upcoming Global Summit on Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence on 9th June 2026. Hosted in partnership with UN Women, an international event which is exploring the tension between digital innovation and harm.

As part of our panel next week 'When Home Isn't Safe: The Hidden Risks of the Internet of Things', we contributed to Say No More's blog. With their permission, we have shared it in full below.

Lessons from the Frontline: Rethinking Emerging Threats in the Modern Home

- Kiera Brodie, Training Lead

In 2024, the United Nations reported that the most dangerous place for a woman is her home, but what do we mean by ‘the home’ today?¹

As digital systems become embedded in everyday life, the risks facing survivors of domestic abuse are no longer confined to physical spaces. The modern home is increasingly networked, programmable, and remotely accessible. Features designed for convenience can be repurposed to facilitate harm, coercion, and gaslighting. 

Within Refuge’s specialist Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment (TFAEE) team, we are increasingly seeing how the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home technology and hidden surveillance is re-shaping both domestic abuse itself and the specialist support required to address it.  Whether it is the manipulation of smart lightbulbs, the installation of hidden cameras or the covert use of smart assistants, perpetrators are routinely using smart home technology as a mechanism for exerting power and control.  

This is not a marginal trend. Refuge saw a 78% increase in referrals across the TFAEE team from financial years 2024/2025 to 2025/2026*, with disclosures of hidden surveillance and IoT misuse continuing to grow.   When considering smart technology-facilitated abuse, it is important that our understanding and frontline practice does not remain static in the face of this emerging threat. 

For example, we can no longer assume that because a survivor is physically by themselves, that they are safe. We must consider the wider digital environment, including the presence and configuration of smart home technology.   It is also important to recognise that many survivors may struggle to identify technology-facilitated abuse, particularly where devices have been installed or manipulated covertly.

As emphasised by Refuge's recent"Home is Where the Hurt is" campaign, abusers are increasingly using harder-to-detect methods to exert control and build advanced networks of surveillance. Survivors frequently describe feeling ‘paranoid’ or ‘uneasy’ in their homes, without being able to pinpoint how the perpetrator is misusing smart home technology. 

This is why digital empowerment is key, alongside believing and advocating for survivors when they reach out to support services such as Refuge. Dismissing or minimising a survivor’s concerns can compound the isolation caused by the perpetrator, creating additional barriers to accessing support. In 2025, 56% of referrals to our team were identified as ‘high risk’ showing just how crucial it is that we validate survivors’ experiences and recognise that digital harm has real world consequences.   

As one caseworker explained:

“Through smart home tech or hidden surveillance, the abuse can continue remotely, meaning survivors never actually feel free or safe, even when the perpetrator isn’t physically present. This can be made worse when professionals minimise it or don’t believe it, leaving survivors feeling disbelieved, dismissed, and even more trapped.” 

The home is increasingly shaped by smart technology, raising critical questions for the future of technology design and policy, and how we navigate the growing presence of technology in gender-based violence. Technological advancements have expanded the potential for misuse, including stalking, monitoring, and harassment. However, they also present opportunities for innovation and empowerment. 

Addressing the risks will take all of us: technology developers, policymakers and frontline services all have a role in ensuring that safety is embedded into design, regulation, and response. 

At Refuge, we’re working to equip survivors with the knowledge and tools to reclaim control, rebuild safety, and feel empowered to find joy in technology – on their own terms. Our work with survivors has shown that even complex problems can often be mitigated through practical, everyday solutions. Believing survivors when they share concerns about smart home technology is a fundamental part of that work. 

As shared by one survivor supported by our team:

“Before [the support] I felt a loss of power and this had a huge impact... this has given me control back and things to do that are actionable and it has made a huge difference to how safe I feel at home with my children. In those awful dark moments, you have provided some light.” 

Training opportunities with Refuge

If you would like to learn more about how technology is being misused, we also deliver a range of CPD accredited and bespoke training courses designed to upskill professionals on the emerging risks of technology-facilitated and economic abuse.

Power and Control in the age of AI

Tuesday 18th August - 9:30-11:30am

Get your tickets

Upcoming podcast episode

Refuge... In Conversation With, SARSAS

Featuring Jade Hamilton from SARSAS, this episode focuses on the overlap between technology-facilitated sexual abuse and domestic abuse. It explores the real-world impact this has on survivors, and why technology-facilitated sexual abuse must be taken just as seriously as other forms of sexual abuse.

You can follow our podcast on Spotify to keep up to date on new releases.

Get support

If you have been impacted by any of the issues discussed in this article, do know that support is available.

For domestic abuse support, please contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on a trusted device. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline can be accessed 24/7 and provides both practical and emotional support to individuals impacted by domestic abuse. The Helpline can be contacted on a freephone 0808 2000 247. Support is also available via British Sign Language – 10 AM to 6 PM Monday to Friday.

To find out more information about digital safety and how you can keep your information safe online, please access Refuge’s tech safety guides through our website on a trusted device. We also have a dedicated Home Tech Tool which is designed to support survivors to identify devices in their home which could be misused, with guidance on how to secure them safely.

References

¹ UN Women (2024). Femicides in 2023: Global estimates of intimate partner/family member femicides https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2024/11/femicides-in-2023-global-estimates-of-intimate-partner-family-member-femicides