Family Violence Tech Safety
Someone using family violence can also use technology to harass, monitor, stalk, impersonate or make threats to control, frighten or humiliate. Research has also shown that women and girls are subjected to very high levels of online abuse.
Location History & Covid QR Check-ins
Clients should be alerted to the fact that their location history can be viewed in the QR check-in app installed on their phone. They are able to remove the location history, without this impacting on the government contact tracing. To read more and watch a ‘how to’ video, go to the VicGov website.
Other advice and options are available at WESNET’s website.
News: The Second National Survey on Technology Abuse and Domestic Violence in Australia
In 2020, WESNET with the assistance of Dr Delanie Woodlock and researchers from Curtin University, repeated the national survey of domestic and family violence practitioners. Funded by a generous donation by Telstra, the survey asks practitioners about what kinds of abuse tactics frontline workers are seeing in their day-to-day work with survivors of domestic and family violence and other forms of violence against women. Access the report here.
E Safety Resources for Workers & Clients
- Useful online safety checkup – for your phone/tablet/computer – https://www.esafety.gov.au/women/checkup#/
- Practical e-safety checklist for women who are in FV situations https://www.esafety.gov.au/women/take-control/esafety-planning/esafety-checklist
- Women’s Technological Safety & Privacy A toolkit for women experiencing tech abuse to learn how they can increase their technology safety and privacy. (WESNET)
- Checklist for someone supporting a woman in FV situation – https://www.esafety.gov.au/women/take-control/esafety-planning/esafety-checklist-for-someone-else
- Phone apps to assist clients who are experiencing family violence – see our list that you can view here.
- 1800RESPECT has information on phone apps on their website, as well as information on technology and safety.
- How to videos explaining how to lock down security settings for those in FV situations
About Tech Safety for Workers
Know the facts about online abuse towards women and girls at the eSafety Commissioner website.
A brief overview of what stalkerware is in this article.
Learn more about stalkerware at the Coalition against Stalkerware (CAS) website.