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posted by CoolHand on Tuesday June 26 2018, @12:09PM   Printer-friendly
from the my-thermostat-is-holding-me-hostage dept.

The New York Times reports a disturbing increase in the use of "smart" devices in domestic abuse cases:

In more than 30 interviews with The New York Times, domestic abuse victims, their lawyers, shelter workers and emergency responders described how the technology was becoming an alarming new tool. Abusers - using apps on their smartphones, which are connected to the internet-enabled devices - would remotely control everyday objects in the home, sometimes to watch and listen, other times to scare or show power. Even after a partner had left the home, the devices often stayed and continued to be used to intimidate and confuse.

Connected home devices have increasingly cropped up in domestic abuse cases over the past year, according to those working with victims of domestic violence. Those at help lines said more people were calling in the last 12 months about losing control of Wi-Fi-enabled doors, speakers, thermostats, lights and cameras. Lawyers also said they were wrangling with how to add language to restraining orders to cover smart home technology.


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Tuesday June 26 2018, @02:53PM (1 child)

    by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday June 26 2018, @02:53PM (#698781)

    The original term "gaslighting" was an abusive guy using the ability to change the brightness of a gas light to make somebody seem crazy to a third party even though they're perfectly sane. And that is something that abusive people do to their partners - I know, I've been on the receiving end of it.

    So yeah, it doesn't surprise me that those abusers with "smart" homes would do the same thing.

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  • (Score: 2) by TheRaven on Tuesday June 26 2018, @05:29PM

    by TheRaven (270) on Tuesday June 26 2018, @05:29PM (#698860) Journal
    I believe that the news part of this is that 'smart' home devices are intended to allow companies to abuse users and they're going to get grumpy that individuals are doing this instead.
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