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By: Cheyenne Taylor and Savannah Archer  Victims of domestic violence endure a high percentage of stalking and harassment victimization during and after a relationship ends. Beacon of Hope Crisis Center saw a 47% increase in victims who experienced stalking and harassment from 2020 to 2022. Specifically, technology-facilitated abuse has been on the rise. Victims have reported abusers tracking their phone activity and location through apps, tracking their physical location with the use of Tile Trackers and Apple Air Tags, improper use of other GPS devices, monitoring inside their homes with hidden cameras, misuse of doorbell cameras for surveillance, and other devices manipulated to perpetrate abuse. Our agency can now assist with checking a victim's vehicle for tracking devices; if found, that information can be reported and added to a protective order request for the court's consideration. We are also seeing victims report that abusers are using different apps to send messages when phone numbers or emails are blocked. Stalkers use apps such as social media platforms, banking, school sites, and other sites that don't always have traditional means of blocking content. Victim advocates complete training to help victims create technology and social media safety plans. There is no time to waste when it comes to securing accounts.  Technology abuse is prevalent in our increasingly digital society. When abusers cannot access victims in person, they often use technology to monitor, harass, and stalk the victims. This gives abusers more access to perpetrate harm without disrupting their own lives and responsibilities. In one study, the National Network to End Domestic Violence reported that 71% of abusers monitor victims’ device activities, and 54% download stalkerware onto their partners’ devices. It is debilitating for a victim's mental health and affects their ability to utilize technology how the average person does: to take a break from their stressors. When the victim spends significant time at home, like following a medical procedure, working remotely, or during a global pandemic, abuse can become more pervasive. Reports show that the pandemic increased the rate and severity of technology abuse experienced. The pandemic also impacted abusers’ free time due to the loss of employment and working from home, which allowed them to modify or explore technology in new ways to harm victims. Technology abuse has been on the rise, and as technology develops and changes, so will the methods that abusers use to cause digital harm. Commonly, technology abuse can look like tracking devices, harassing messages, demands for intimate pictures or photos, and publishing private information about the victim. Spoofing is another example of technological abuse where the abuser disguises their messages or phone number to impersonate someone or to get around blocked contact settings. We are focused on enhancing prevention and safety planning for all victims at risk of technology-facilitated abuse. Senate Bill 161 passed, and Indiana now has a new law, unlawful surveillance. This bill adds a prohibition against using a tracking device to the list of conditions a court may impose when issuing a protection order. It also increases the penalty for stalking to a Level 5 felony if the offense is committed using a tracking device. A person who knowingly or intentionally places a tracking device on an individual or the individual's property without the individual's knowledge or consent commits unlawful surveillance, a Class A misdemeanor, unless certain exceptions apply, and increases the penalty to a Level 6 felony if the person is the subject of a protective order or has certain prior convictions. This change in the legislature establishes sentence enhancement if a person uses a tracking device to commit or facilitate the commission of a crime. Beacon of Hope Crisis Center will continue to advocate for victims, adapt to the changing times, and request improvements in the legislature to hold abusers accountable.
By: Kaylee Kriese  Did you know that tracking someone through their phone or tech accessories has become even easier? Although most people have heard of GPS trackers, few are aware of the most recent technological advances that has made crimes such as stalking and theft all too easy. In April of 2021, Apple released their new product, AirTags, with the intention that their users could track their keys or wallet in the event that they misplace them. If you’re someone who loses things easily, this water-resistant product might just be a lifesaver, but in other cases, these small, circular disks can be used for more sinister purposes.
Most notably, AirTags can be discreetly stored, as those who took to Tiktok, Youtube, and Twitter shared from their own experiences. These victims of tracking, mostly women, report finding AirTags taped to the underside of their car or behind their license plates. They found them only after being notified through their iPhone’s Bluetooth technology that another AirTag was detected moving with them. When investigating this further, many of these women could locate a map of everywhere they had been through their device, which could be seen by other devices tracking them. Although Apple set up this notification feature to report when other AirTags are detected and even prompt a signal that generates beeping until the unknown device is located, many people are unnerved that they were able to be tracked at all, especially given what some report to be belated notifications about the tracking. Additionally, when some have attempted to use the “Find my” network that AirTags can be accessed with, they found that the Find my tool was unavailable. A well-known product, Tile, is yet another device that has generated discussion about its security features, though its creators anticipate the release of a new security feature like Apple’s sometime this year.[1] If you look up Apple’s description for AirTags, the website describes it as, “an accessory that provides a private and secure way to easily locate the items that matter most.”[2] Given the stories that have emerged in less than one year since the product’s release, the general consensus seems to be extreme uncertainty about the privacy and security this product offers. In our line of work, we know that abusers will implement whatever tools necessary to stalk and torment their victims. Given the newness of this technology, we anticipate more stories of products like AirTags being misused for ill intentions. If you own an AirTag or are considering purchasing one, we encourage you to research its security measures beforehand. If you or a loved one are a victim of stalking, call our confidential crisis line at 317-731-6140. If you are in a life-threatening situation, call 9-1-1 immediately. [1]https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/30/technology/apple-airtags-tracking-stalking.html [2] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/04/apple-introduces-airtag/ |
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This blog is about our domestic and sexual violence crisis center, Beacon of Hope. We hope you find it full of helpful information, motivation, creativity, serious facts and positivity. We hope that it will help you know what is happening in our center, in our community and with our events. We hope you follow our blog in support of our organization and our mission. Archives
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