Smart Home Devices' Emerging Role in Domestic Violence Cases

Smart home devices are now linked to a new trend in domestic abuse cases. Smart lights, locks, and cameras are just some of the tools being used by abusers to control, monitor, and harass their targets.

Last year, 29 million U.S. homes had some sort of smart home technology device, says a report by McKinsey, projecting 31 percent growth per year. In that time, some domestic abuse survivors, mainly women, have reported experiences of losing control over Wi-Fi-enabled thermostats, doors, cameras, and speakers. Some smart home device manufacturers say they have not received reports of their products being used in these abuse situations; the Times points out, "Making it easy for people to switch who controls the smart home product can inadvertently also make access to the systems easier for [others]." When survivors opt to uninstall the devices to end the abuse, this action can escalate the conflict, Jennifer Becker, lawyer at women’s rights legal advocacy group Legal Momentum, explains to The New York Times. Additionally, Becker says legal recourse against an abuser can be restricted.

In more than 30 interviews with The New York Times, domestic abuse victims, their lawyers, shelter workers and emergency responders described how the technology was becoming an alarming new tool. Abusers — using apps on their smartphones, which are connected to the internet-enabled devices — would remotely control everyday objects in the home, sometimes to watch and listen, other times to scare or show power. Even after a partner had left the home, the devices often stayed and continued to be used to intimidate and confuse.

Read more