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Technology-enabled abuse is when someone uses technology to bully, harass, stalk, intimidate, or gain control over others. Preventing this kind of abuse starts with the ability to recognize it. Click on one of the following links to learn more about identifying specific types of technology-enabled abuse.

Bullying and harassment

This form of abuse can include threatening messages or insulting or humiliating posts, including unflattering photos or videos shared without your consent.

If someone send sends you too many, unwanted, threatening, or repeated messages you , even after you ask them to stop, it is harassment. If you block someone and they contact you through another person or through another form of technology, it is harassment.

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Healthy relationships are built on boundaries and , mutual respect, and consent by all parties. When someone is being forced to do something they don’t want to do, boundaries are not being respected.

Coercion is the act of sharing (or threatening to share) images or information online or forcing a victim to share this information with the aim to cause the victim distress, to gain financially, or to sexually abuse and/or exploit someone. Someone pressuring you to send explicit photos and /videos , or sexual and compromising messages without your consent is an abusive and controlling act.

Online exploitation is is when one person manipulates another person to get them to do something such as sending photos/videos of themselves or perform acts over a webcam.

Abuse is about Intimidation includes acts related to power and control. Abusers may steal or demand your account passwords, tell you who you can and can’t friend/follow on social media, or look through the photos, videos, texts, and calls on your phone. Behaviors like these are coercion, exploitation, or intimidation, and they are all technology-enabled abuse.

Monitoring and stalking

How does it work?

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Android users won’t receive an alert, but the AirTag itself should also emit a sound alert. A Tile tracker won’t emit a sound and no security alert will appear on your device, so the best approach is to conduct a physical search of bags, vehicles, clothing or other items you frequently carry if you suspect that you are being tracked.

What do you do if you’re being tracked?

If you find a tracking device or are alerted of a personal tracker, first ensure your safety. Then, disable the tracker by removing the battery. If you cannot disable the device, leave it behind or store it somewhere until you can give it to law enforcement. Otherwise, the stalker will continue to know your location. Take screenshots of any security alerts you received. Take photos of where the tracker was discovered and keep the disabled device as evidence.

Trolling

This is when someone posts or comments as a way to deliberately “bait” a response and provoke an argument or emotional reaction. Examples of trolling include commenting on Instagram posts or subtweeting to incite a response or to get others to join in on the attack. This behavior is harassment even if the comment is not made on your post and even if you are not tagged in the post or tweet.

Catfishing

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and doxing

Catfishing is when someone creates a fake online identity using another person’s images and information. This may be done to lure someone into a false relationship or to victimize an unknowing target (e.g., using someone’s images from Instagram to make a dating profile).

Doxing is when someone reveals identifying information about someone online such as their real name, home address, workplace, phone, financial information, or image without the person’s permission with the intent to isolate and embarrass a victim.

Examples of catfishing and doxing is are using your pictures to create a fake dating profile. This behavior is harassment whether or not the perpetrator intended to victimize you or whether they chose your pictures at random.

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If you are unsure whether you are experiencing technology-enabled abuse, utilize this checklist created by EndTAB to explore further. For additional resources related to technology-enabled abuse, visit the Safety Net Project’s Technology Safety & Privacy page.