, 25 November 2020

In abusive relationships, control methods now also include tech

In France, the emergency phone number for female victims of domestic violence, was dialed 9,906 times in April 2020 — compared to 5,098 times in the same month last year. In addition, calls from relatives and neighbors to the police to report a situation of domestic violence increased by 8% between February and April 2020, according to figures collected by the French National Federation of Women's Solidarity (FNSF) . 

In recent years, abusive behavior has also spread in the digital world, a trend that has intensified this year: Between March and June 2020, our Threat Labs observed a 51 % increase in spyware and stalkerware compared to the first two months of the year.

Stalkerware is malicious software that can be used to locate a person, access their personal photos and videos, intercept emails, as well as text messages and conversations on applications such as WhatsApp and Messenger, as well as listen to phone calls and record internet conversations without the target's knowledge. Usually installed discreetly on devices by so-called friends, jealous spouses or ex-partners, stalkerware deprives victims of their physical and virtual freedom.

These apps are designed to operate in stealth mode, without persistent notification to the user of the device. They are therefore a robust and invasive tool for attackers to harass, monitor and track down their victim. This can be terrifying and traumatic for the latter since, even after separation, psychological violence can then continue through the surveillance exercised, and the messages and calls received, via social networks and cell phones of women and children.

Last July, Google took a step towards decreasing the popularity of stalkerware, by banning the promotion of products or services marketed or targeted for the sole purpose of tracking or monitoring another person or their activities without their permission. However, almost identical applications are still allowed, posing as tools for private detectives or for parents wishing to keep an eye on their children.   

The tie between hyperconnectivity and abusive behavior

A strong correlation now exists between abusive relationships and the presence of stalkerware on victims' devices. The proliferation of connected devices and the existence of discreet spy and harassment applications constitute an additional means for abusers to exercise control over their victims, who can find it more difficult to leave home as part of a lockdown to fight Covid-19, as is the case for the second time this year.   

While it is important that everyone knows how to remove stalkerware on one’s device, it is also crucial to know the potential outcomes. This deletion could indeed alert the abusive partner. Preventing installation is therefore a priority. The first thing to do is to ensure that the phone is protected by PIN or password — this helps prevent the installation of software to the blind of its owner. The second is to install antivirus software, which will alert the user of any attempt to install stalkerware and help remove it if necessary. These two steps are simple and guarantee the device and personal data protection.

If a partner strongly opposes one of these classic security measures, this is a red flag that should not be ignored. If a victim is unable to seek outside help, it's possible to manually remove the stalkerware from a phone:

• The first step is to restart the device in safe mode, keeping the power button pressed until you see the restart options; you must then press the "Turn off " option, after which "Restart in Safe Mode" will appear. 
• Secondly, once the device has rebooted, you must delete all the suspicious or unknown applications by going to settings. If in doubt, you can search online for the name of the app, to see if other people have had problems with it as well.       

While digital technology offers incredible opportunities, it has also extended the control of abusive partners over their victims. The latter must be aware of the existence of these spying applications and break the silence in the event of a problem to obtain help in order to escape the abuse. To avoid this situation and be able to help people in an abusive relationship, we should all know the signs of such a situation and help out by knowing how to protect digital devices and get them rid of malware.

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Established in 1999 by the United Nations, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is held every year on November 25. Its aim is to raise awareness of domestic violence and femicide in order to address it. In France alone, nearly 150 women have been killed by their spouse or ex-partner since the start of 2020. Indeed, the violence intensifies during lockdown periods, to the point of being called a "phantom epidemic" of the Covid-19 pandemic by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women. Read more about UN Women's research related to ending violence against women.