New Resource for Victims of Technology Harassment

July 25, 2016

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is excited to announce the release of a new mobile app offering resources for victims of technology-facilitated stalking or abuse. The Tech Safety App is an educational mobile app that helps users identify how abusers can harass them by misusing technology and learn what steps they can take to enhance their technology safety and privacy.

This app takes advantage of the NNEDV Safety Net project’s more than 15 years of working on the intersection of technology abuse and violence against women, and who have provided expert advice, trainings, and consultation on this issue to thousands of survivors of abuse, victim service providers, and technology companies. This app is another way to get information into the hands of survivors.

“We’re trying to create a world where no one is abused online or offline,” said Executive Vice President Cindy Southworth, founder of the Safety Net Project at NNEDV. “Until then, we need tech-savvy survivors supported by tech-savvy victim advocates and backed by strong service providers assisting them. This app gives them more than 15 years of technology safety information literally at their fingertips.”

The app walks users through understanding how a particular technology could be misused, what they can do about it, and offers safety tips on how to increase their safety and privacy. The app also includes a wide range of resources, including those on NNEDV’s Technology Blog site, TechSafety.org, the WomensLaw.org legal hotline, and other hotlines.

“When we created this app, we envisioned a survivor sitting down with an advocate or their lawyer discussing the complex stalking her ex is doing through technology.” said Kim Gandy, President and CEO of NNEDV. “This app provides accessible technology and privacy content that an advocate can pull up and discuss how the ex could possibly be doing what he or she is doing and talk through the safety steps the victim could take.”

The Tech Safety App was funded by Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice Vision 21 Initiative. “Technology is changing how victims experience crimes, from how it’s perpetrated against them to how they can reach out for help,” said Joye Frost, director of OVC. “Through Vision 21, our goal was to provide crime victims easier access to information and services, and equip victim service providers with cutting-edge resources and tools.”

The Tech Safety App will be launched at a reception on Monday, July 25, 2016 from 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm at the Hilton Financial District during NNEDV Safety Net’s 4th Annual Technology Summit. At this summit, nearly 150 victim advocates, attorneys, law enforcement professionals, victim service providers from across the United States and around the world will attend to learn about how technology is misused to harass and how providers can address these crimes.

For more information about the app, visit TechSafetyApp.org; about the Technology Summit, visit TechSafety.org/technology-summit; and about NNEDV, visit NNEDV.org.