Technology, once a beacon of progress, is now being weaponized in chilling ways. Domestic abusers are exploiting AI and smart devices to stalk, control, and manipulate their victims, often with devastating consequences. A leading domestic abuse charity, Refuge, has sounded the alarm, revealing a shocking surge in cases where technology is used as a tool of abuse.
But here's where it gets even more alarming: In the last quarter of 2025, Refuge saw a staggering 62% increase in complex cases involving tech-facilitated abuse, totaling 829 women. Even more concerning, referrals for victims under 30 rose by 24%. These aren't just numbers; they represent lives shattered by the misuse of technology.
Imagine your smartwatch, designed for fitness tracking, becoming a tool for your abuser to monitor your every move. Or your smart home devices, meant for convenience, being used to terrorize you by controlling your lights and heating. This is the grim reality for many survivors. Perpetrators are leveraging wearable tech like smartwatches, Oura rings, and Fitbits to stalk their victims, while AI spoofing apps allow them to impersonate others, further isolating and manipulating their targets.
And this is the part most people miss: The design and distribution of these technologies rarely consider the potential for harm, particularly against women and girls. Emma Pickering, head of Refuge's tech-facilitated abuse team, highlights the ease with which abusers can weaponize smart accessories. She emphasizes, 'It is unacceptable for the safety and wellbeing of women and girls to be treated as an afterthought.' Their safety, she argues, must be a foundational principle in both the design of wearable technology and the regulatory frameworks governing it.
Take Mina's story, for example. In her rush to escape her abuser, she left behind her smartwatch. He used it to track her through linked cloud accounts, locating her emergency accommodation. 'I felt suddenly exposed and unsafe,' she recalls. Despite reporting the breaches to the police, she was told no crime had been committed because she hadn’t been physically harmed. This highlights a critical gap in how tech-facilitated abuse is understood and addressed by authorities.
Here’s where it gets controversial: Are we doing enough to hold tech companies accountable for the unintended consequences of their innovations? Pickering argues that the technology industry must be held to account for failing to ensure their devices and platforms are safe for vulnerable users. She also calls for greater government action, including more funding for digital investigations teams and stronger regulatory measures. 'Ofcom and the Online Safety Act don’t go far enough,' she asserts.
The misuse of technology doesn’t stop at tracking and stalking. Abusers are increasingly using AI tools to manipulate survivors. For instance, they might alter videos to make it appear as though the survivor is drunk, then use this as evidence to discredit them to social services. Pickering warns, 'We’ll see more and more of that as these videos and applications advance.' Even more chilling is the potential for medical tech to be misused, such as controlling insulin levels through a diabetes tracker, which could have fatal consequences.
A government spokesperson responded, 'Tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms, including online or tech-facilitated abuse, is a top priority.' They highlighted their new VAWG strategy and collaboration with Ofcom to address online abuse. But is this enough? What do you think? Should tech companies be more proactive in preventing their products from being used for abuse? How can we better support survivors of tech-facilitated abuse? Share your thoughts in the comments—this is a conversation we can’t afford to ignore.
