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The first line of defense against Technology Enabled Abuse is to protect yourself by limiting the amount of personal information you share online and increasing the security of both your accounts and your devices.

Note

If you believe that an account has been compromised, change your password and log out of all devices. Google, Facebook, and many other social media online accounts allow you to force logout on all devices that are logged in. This ensures that no one else is still logged in when you change your password.

Check your devices and settings.

Go through your mobile device, apps, and online accounts to ensure other devices and accounts aren’t connected to yours.

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  • Change your username and passwords for online accounts you think are being accessed.

  • Enable strong authentication on all your personal accounts.

  • Enable security protections, such as passwords or biometric scans, so that only you can access your devices.

  • Always remember to log out or lock your screen before you step away from your computer/cell phone/tablet.

Note

If you suspect your computer, tablet, or phone has been compromised, take it to a private computer repair shop for an assessment. Use a computer at a lab or library in the meantime. Consider purchasing a pre-paid or pay-as-you-go phone. Set up a passcode and don’t link the new device to old cloud accounts your abuser may know about. Never use the device you suspect is being monitored to login to or change passwords for any accounts.

Take steps to remove or reduce the availability of information about yourself online.

  • Don’t overshare on social media.

  • Regularly review the privacy settings on all your social media accounts.

  • Before you share intimate photos or videos, have a conversation about what the person will do with the content. If you choose to share intimate images, ensure you cannot be identified by not showing your face or identifying tattoos.

Note

If your sensitive content is revealed online, you may report the content to the host site to be removed or you may file a report with search engines so that it does not appear in searches. For more information on how to reduce the impact of your sensitive content being shared, review the Safety Net Project’s guide to Removing Sensitive Content from the Internet.