Understanding technological violence

IPV : A unique context

In contexts other than IPV - espionage, for example - technological surveillance activities are carried out stealthily, secretly, so that the target is unaware that they are being monitored. In the case of IPV, although surveillance may indeed be stealthy, it can also be carried out explicitly, as the abuser feels that they have a right to control their partner and therefore may not necessarily hide the fact that they are monitoring the victim. This is the case, for example, of an abuser who alludes to the information at their disposal in order to gain power over a partner.

Three goals: surveillance, manipulation and harassment

Technological abuse generally serves three functions. The first is surveillance. Tools are then used to monitor online and offline activities, in order to extract information about the victim's whereabouts, actions or communications. The second function is manipulation. In this case, the tools are used to convey messages designed to influence, convince or coax the victim into changing their mind or to create confusion. The third function is harassment and intimidation. In this case, the tools are used to make intrusive contact with the victim, to force them to continue communications, to intimidate them or to put pressure on them.

Physical access to devices

Technological abuse in the context of IPV is facilitated by the fact that violent partners often have access to the victim's devices (before the break-up) and to those of the children (before and after the break-up). Through this direct contact with computers, tablets, smartphones and electronic games, they have a golden opportunity to use these tools. They can consult Internet browsing history, e-mails, text messages, social network exchanges and more. They can also modify the security or privacy settings of the devices, or install malicious software or applications (spyware) that will enable them to continue their intrusion even if they no longer have access to the devices afterwards. They may also attempt to harm the victim by deleting important documents related to work, evidence gathering or personal life.

Monitoring devices

More and more abusers are using physical devices such as cameras, microphones, locatable devices like "air-tags" or "tiles" or even certain models of "air pods" to track someone's movements. These tools can be camouflaged in fake USB wires, or slipped into a child's bag, a satchel, a diaper bag, or even camouflaged in a home or in a car.

Access to online accounts

Abusers can use the privileged information they have access to (such as passwords or details of the victim's intimate life) to gain access to the victim's personal accounts (online accounts, applications, social networks, e-mails, etc.) and keep tabs on them. They can monitor a victim's movements, e-mails, social network messages, contacts, incoming and outgoing calls, connected devices, purchases, and so on. They can also send messages or make posts on social networks posing as the victim to harm them or undermine their credibility. All types of accounts can provide useful information for perpetrators of violence: access to a bank account allows them to monitor a victim's purchases and money inflows, access to an Uber account allows them to see where the victim travels and where they get food delivered, access to an e-mail account lets them know who the victim talks to and what they are planning, access to an Amazon account gives them access to the victim's new address, and so on.

Signs of technological violence

• Social media posts are made in the victim's name without their knowledge;
• Presence of unknown devices connected to online accounts;
• New messages are marked as "read;
• Files or applications appear or disappear from devices;
• The partner has information that is not available elsewhere;
• The partner seems to know things that have not been mentioned to them (where one has been, who one has seen, who one has talked to, what was bought, the content of private messages, who one is meeting up with, etc.);
• Having the sensation of being physically followed offline, in real time;
• Device batteries drain faster than usual;
• Applications use an unreasonable amount of data or memory;
• A device's camera icon appears when the camera is not in use;
• Etc.

*The absence of signs does not mean that a person is not a victim of technological violence, since it is often extremely subtle and leaves few traces. That's why it's a good idea to put protection strategies in place, whether or not any clues are present.

Consult our Technological self-defense guide for victims of IPV for practical advice on dealing with technological violence.