果冻影院

The purpose was to聽discuss the risk of emerging technologies for domestic violence and abuse. The event coincided with the upcoming International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, taking place annually on the 25th of November.

Technologies such as smartphones or platforms such as social media websites and apps are increasingly used as tools for harassment and stalking. Adding to the existing challenges and complexities are evolving 鈥渟mart鈥�, Internet-connected devices that are progressively populating public and private spaces. These systems, due to their聽functionalities, create further opportunities to monitor, control, and coerce individuals. The G-IoT project is studying the implications of IoT-facilitated 鈥渢ech abuse鈥� for victims and survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

CryptoParty

The evening represented an opportunity for frontline workers and support organisations to upskill in digital security. Attendees had the chance to learn about various topics including phone, communication, Internet browser and data security. They were trained by a group of so-called 鈥渃rypto angels鈥�, meaning volunteers who provide technical guidance and support. Many of the trainers are affiliated with the global 鈥溾�� movement and the聽聽specifically, as well as聽, and the聽.

G-IoT鈥檚 lead researcher, Dr Leonie Tanczer, highlighted the importance of this event in light of the socio-technical research that the team pursued so far, 鈥淪ince January 2018, we worked closely with the statutory and voluntary support sector. We identified various shortcomings in the delivery of tech abuse provisions, including practice-oriented, policy, and technical limitations. We set up the CryptoParty to bring together different communities to holistically tackle tech abuse and increase the technical security awareness of the support sector.鈥�

Tanczer stressed the innovative spin and replicability of this event: 鈥淲hile this was probably a first for many of the people involved, I am hopeful that the gathered knowledge and established networks will remain far beyond our research project, and I am incredibly thankful for all the support we have received from all the diverse stakeholders that made this event possible.鈥澛�

Panel discussion

A panel discussion, moderated by BBC journalist Shari Vahl, followed the digital security workshop. Speakers included Vivienne Hayes (Women鈥檚 Resource Centre), Andrew Laughlin (Which?), Leonie Tanczer (果冻影院), and Martin Sadler (DCMS Secure by Design Expert Advisory Group).

Panellists explored the perils different technologies create in domestic violence and abuse situations and specifically discussed tech abuse in light of the rising uptake of IoT systems and the move towards a so-called 鈥渟mart home鈥�. Speakers also touched upon the potential future steps government, industry, and support organisations may take to mitigate against these pressing risks.

Vivienne Hayes, CEO of the Women鈥檚 Resource Centre pointed out the need for more public awareness and for resources for the support sector: 鈥淢en who enact violence against women don鈥檛 do this in random reactive ways. It鈥檚 not just reactive - its planned and controlling. They use whatever means at their disposal to abuse and control women and their children. And technology is another means by which perpetrators can abuse women. Technology is booming, it鈥檚 everchanging鈥� we need a public campaign and resources for the sector to deal with this.鈥�

Andrew Laughlin, Principal Research from the consumer organisation Which? echoed this and said: 鈥淲ith any connections to the Internet you鈥檝e got risks. The amount of these devices that will be sold this Christmas will probably be massive. And these products may be brought to market in a rush and without consideration of security. It鈥檚 going to take a lot of pressure; the landscape is moving really fast. Secure by design has to start with the manufacturers not with the consumers.鈥�

Martin Sadler, Chair of DCMS鈥� Secure by Design Expert Advisory Group and Former VP for Research and Lab Director, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provided his perspective on the state of the tech industry and emphasised: 鈥淭he opportunity for abuse through technology is getting bigger all the time and we don鈥檛 know how to address this gap. It is very hard when other adults have access to the same devices in the home. Organisations have created a model where anyone in the home is good anyone out is not. This certainly doesn鈥檛 work with domestic abuse, and we need a lot of people working on this. We can start by taking the conversations we鈥檝e had today and amplify them across the country.鈥�

Report and policy recommendations released

The G-IoT research team also used the event to release a new聽report聽summarising some of research findings and recommendations aimed at statutory and voluntary support services, tech vendors, and policy officials, and an聽information leaflet聽aimed at policy officials.

More information about G-IoT, the research team, and its project partners can be found聽here.