Digital Shadows: When Tech Turns Against Those It Was Meant to Protect

People aren’t just using technology to stay connected—they’re using it to control others. In intimate relationships, abusers are now using smartphones, social media, and tracking devices to spy on, intimidate, and limit their partners’ freedom. These tools weren’t built to be weapons. But when someone has access to shared passwords or personal accounts, they can turn everyday features into tools of surveillance. The danger isn’t obvious. It slips in quietly—behind a simple app notification, a location update, or a background check. That’s why we can’t treat tech safety like a afterthought. It has to be built in from the start, especially when the people most at risk are the ones closest to the person doing the harming.

The real threat isn’t just about hackers. It’s about how technology is used by people who already have power over others. Take Air

How Technology Can Be Misused in Intimate Relationships

• Personalized Surveillance Risks: Partners often share passwords or access to devices. That shared trust opens the door for abuse—abusers use intimate knowledge to monitor everything from calls to locations, turning private habits into tools of control.
• Post-Release Device Safeguards: Products like AirTags are often launched without considering how they might be abused. The fact that an abuser could track a partner’s movements after a device is released shows a gap in how safety is thought about early on. Companies need to respond fast when misuse is exposed.
• The Power of Data Collection: Features that seem harmless—like voice assistants or smart glasses—can record private moments. That data, once compiled, paints a detailed map of a person’s routine, giving abusers a clear picture of where they go and what they do.

When tech is designed without safety in mind, it can become a silent accomplice. But with better collaboration between companies and domestic violence advocates, and with smarter design choices, we can make tools that protect—not harm. The next step isn’t just fixing problems after they happen. It’s building safer tech from day one.