MPs are urging the government to take action on the troubling rise of ‘tech abuse’ rising from the use of connected devices to enable and perpetuate domestic abuse.

The CMS Committee’s report: Connect tech: smart or sinister, has called for the UK government to vigorously and seriously consider the associated dangers of connected technology.

After an inquiry lunched last year in May, the committee considered both the potential benefit and harms of connected technology, such as smart speakers, virtual assistance and wearable fitness trackers.

On average, there are about nine connected devices in every household in the UK, and the average number of connected appliances in UK households has increased by 26% in the last three years, according to a study by Aviva.

According to the committee, the majority of modern domestic abuse cases feature some sort of cyber elements, ranging from the use of spyware, to monitoring movements, to the collection of recording and images of victims and survivors.

Committee members heard stories of survivors being tracked in refuge shelters by their abusers via logging into their Netflix accounts. Smartwatches, if attached to another device or plan, could reveal location data, and the sharing of explicit photos can prevent victims from finding new employment opportunities.

Survivors and victims of tech abuse are often left to simply go ‘offline’ by law enforcement which do not understand or lack the training to stop perpetrators of the abuse.

The Committee is therefore calling on the Government to make tackling tech abuse a priority, by upskilling law enforcement, and increasing awareness of specialist services tackling violence against women and girls.

Further, the Committee has recommended that the Office for Product Safety and Standards convene a tech abuse working group to bring the industry together to tackle tech abuse.

“While the rising popularity of connected technology has brought undoubted benefits to everyday life, the flip side is the real risk some of these gadgets pose to privacy and personal safety online,” Dame Caroline Dinegae MP, chair of the CMS committee, said. “In particular, the surge in use of devices such as smart home security systems, baby monitors, cameras and smart speakers to monitor, harass, coerce and control victims of domestic abuse is truly chilling.

“The Government must make it a priority to work with manufacturers to tackle this technology-facilitated abuse, which is only going to get worse in the future. The police and criminal justice system must be better equipped to deal with it, while victims should be properly supported.”

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Data Privacy 

The Committee also called for more to be done to protect the privacy and rights of children, with young people increasingly likely to interact with connected technology at home and in schools.

This year, the Information Commissioner’s Office issued a new Children’s Code for online spaces, which provided more regulation to the keeping and use of children’s data.

Still, the Committee has called for the ICO to be more proactive in this arena, as the increased use of connected tech in schools and by children is only raising concerns.

Further, Committee recommended increased workers’ rights in terms of employee monitoring – employers must seek the consent of employees to monitor them and their work.

Product Security

Products should be secure-by-design, but also have privacy interfaces that are appropriately accessible, intuitive, and flexible enough for users with a reasonable level of digital literacy to use them.

The Committee also recognised the security challenges currently facing the cybersecurity industry, including the skills shortage.

They recommend the government support the availability of free courses, and encourage more professionals to become cybersecurity educators, as well as improve the core understanding of cybersecurity.