Faced with all the technological tools that allow spouses to locate or even track their ex-partners, shelters for women who are victims of domestic violence are fighting back. They have developed tactics to remove tracking tags implanted in cars and spyware, but the proliferation of Internet-connected objects offers just as many opportunities to locate those who have fled. Houses have therefore moved into high gear to protect women against this “technological violence” by working at the source, namely with service providers such as Hydro-Québec and manufacturers of toys and connected objects.
The tracking beacons installed in the vehicles of ex-spouses, without their knowledge, arouse many fears for their safety. Faced with this threat, the shelters responded in various ways: one bought a geolocation beacon detector, another concluded an agreement with a mechanic, well aware of all the corners of the vehicles where these small tracking devices, some of which are no larger than a 25 cent coin, can be camouflaged.
However, the shelters that house abused women knew more was needed. Gaëlle Fedida, the coordinator for political files of the Alliance of shelters of 2e step for women and children victims of domestic violence (the Alliance), remembers having attended a Colloquium on Cybersecurity in 2016: “It was there that I understood the extent of the problem. »
The Alliance has therefore teamed up with select partners, such as Crypto Québec, Lab2038 and, above all, the Documentation Center on Adult Education and the Status of Women (CDEACF), which has helped it to protect the women against “technological violence. »
The CDEACF has developed “practical-practical” files so that workers can clearly explain to women how to “unplug everything” before leaving the marital home, to prevent them from being located by a violent spouse. The sheets, made according to the type of device and the brand, indicate how to deactivate the geolocation function. This information has been disseminated to all homes and shelters, which can also benefit from CDEACF training workshops.
“It was very useful, but it all needs to be updated, because technology is changing at breakneck speed,” explains Ms.me Fedida pointing out that there was no funding to do so.
In addition, deactivating the geolocation of the cell phone is not enough, underlines Lise Chovino of the CDEACF. It only disables the GPS, not the whole phone. The latter therefore continues to provide information, such as applications and social networks. “When location services are turned off, we can still determine your location through visits, events, and information about your internet connection,” Facebook says on its own settings page.
by children
“There are issues beyond unplugging devices,” said Ms.me Fedida. But the efforts of shelters to counter technological violence show that their work is far from being limited to providing shelter for women.
Security breaches sometimes come from children, reports Mme Chovino, responsible for support and ICT training (information and communication technologies) at the CDEACF.
There are issues beyond unplugging devices
The cute little dinosaur that doesn’t leave son’s arms? He records all week and regurgitates the information to the other parent at the weekend. The same goes for the teddy bear that contains a camera: it can reveal visual clues about where a woman is hiding. As for dolls connected to the Internet, like hello barbie And My friend Cayla, these are “hyperpernicious toys that can record conversations”, summarizes Mme Chovino. Some countries, like Germany, have outright banned them.
It goes so far, said with a sigh Mme Chovino. “We are really riding against a big machine. »
Malicious ex-spouses will monitor connected and shared accounts – we can think here of Google, which offers “family accounts” and grocery store point cards – which can save a geolocation history. “It’s very subtle, and it allows you to know where the ex-spouse connected and when”, explains Mme Chovino.
In short, it quickly became clear to them that action had to be taken at the source.
Utility service providers have been targeted because they have names and addresses. Little known fact, the Alliance negotiated an agreement with Hydro-Quebec. There is now a special telephone line and only one person within the State Company who takes care of the connections for the new shelters and also for the women who need an electricity account when leaving from a shelter. The information is kept in a separate file.
“That’s the kind of thing we’re trying to build,” says M.me Fedida.
Need support
However, they cannot stop there. A woman has already been located after having BBQ chicken delivered to her room in a shelter, gives Mme Fedida as an example.
Thus, private companies such as those offering a delivery service have been contacted, and others will be contacted, to raise their awareness of domestic violence and suggest instructions for use. Mme Chovino explains that her organization is also in the process of contacting manufacturers of connected objects to encourage them to adopt privacy practices adapted to the dangers these women face.
If companies do not want to contribute, elected officials will have to get involved and force them to do so, explains Ms.me Fedida. We cannot put the entire burden of protection on the shoulders of women, adds Mme Chovino.
In the new integrated government strategy to counter sexual violence and domestic violence, a measure targets cybersecurity. But only $300,000 over four years has been granted by Quebec to implement it, says Ms.me Fedida.
“Domestic violence is the main issue in cybersecurity, with all this development of technological tools that serve to continue the coercive control over women. However, the Ministry of Cybersecurity is not involved in the Strategy at all. It does not work. They forgot something along the way. »