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Showing posts with the label #DVShelter

Thermostats, Locks and Lights: Digital Tools of Domestic Abuse

#DomesticViolence #Harassment #IPV #LALGBTCenter #StopViolenceProgram #Revenge #DVShelter #Smarthome #Survivor #Technology #VictimofCrime By Nellie Bowles June 23, 2018 SAN FRANCISCO — The people who called into the help hotlines and domestic violence shelters said they felt as if they were going crazy. One woman had turned on her air-conditioner but said it then switched off without her touching it. Another said the code numbers of the digital lock at her front door changed every day and she could not figure out why. Still, another told an abuse helpline that she kept hearing the doorbell ring, but no one was there. Their stories are part of a new pattern of behavior in domestic abuse cases tied to the rise of smart home technology. Internet-connected locks, speakers, thermostats, lights and cameras that have been marketed as the newest conveniences are now also being used as a means for harassment, monitoring, revenge and control. In more than 30 interviews with The Ne...