Digital technology is increasingly used in domestic and family violence, and the so-called “smart home” could make it worse, write Professor Heather Douglas and Dr Mark Burdon at The Conversation.
Recent case studies and research show that almost any technology can be used for abusive purposes, from social media to GPS-trackers.
The smart home, complete with its network of sensors, smart locks and internet-connected cameras, will complicate the situation further and especially increase the potential for surveillance-based abuse.
In the context of domestic and family violence, smart homes have a Jekyll and Hyde quality: a smart home could become a vector for technology-facilitated aggression, but it could also be part of the solution.
