When the smart home is controlled by someone else
Connected doorbells, cameras, locks, speakers and thermostats are usually bought for convenience and security. In a home affected by domestic abuse, the same features can be turned against the person living there, particularly when accounts, hubs or devices remain linked to a current or former partner. This article summarises material from Refuge’s Tech Safety resource, the sexual abuse support charity SARSAS and the text of section 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. It is general information, not legal or personal safety advice, and it does not cover the law in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Anyone in immediate danger should call 999.
How devices can be misused
SARSAS lists several ways household technology can be used to control someone: unauthorised monitoring and recording, preventing a person entering or leaving the home, unexpected changes to lighting or heating, tracking daily movements and routines, covert listening and extending surveillance through children’s connected devices. It describes these as reflecting patterns of power and control. Refuge’s Tech Safety site gives an example of an ex-partner remotely triggering a loud noise from a home device in the middle of the night, disturbing a mother and child.
Because these behaviours are about control, they can persist after a relationship or a shared tenancy ends, if an old account still administers a lock or camera, or if a gift to a child contains a microphone or camera the survivor cannot manage.
Where the law sits
Section 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines domestic abuse as abusive behaviour between two people aged 16 or over who are personally connected. It lists physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic abuse, and psychological, emotional or other abuse. The definition applies to a single incident or a course of conduct, and abuse directed at someone else, such as a child, can still count as abuse towards the person concerned. The section does not mention technology by name. Whether a specific act involving a device is an offence is a question of the particular facts and other legislation, and the sources read do not address it, so no view is offered here.
Warning signs
SARSAS suggests noticing patterns such as unexpected device behaviour or changed settings, activity at unusual times or frequency, and devices activating without any action by the household. None of these proves abuse; faults, updates and shared family accounts can cause similar effects. They are prompts to look more closely.
Steps the charities suggest
SARSAS recommends the following, and stresses that a safety plan should come before action because some steps could escalate risk:
- Make an inventory of connected devices to understand what data each collects and who has access.
- Document suspicious activity carefully, in a way that does not alert the person responsible.
- Secure access credentials by changing passwords and, where safe, disabling location services.
- Use separate devices for seeking help, such as a trusted phone, a library computer or a new account.
- Review children’s accounts and devices for indirect surveillance.
Refuge’s Tech Safety site provides guides for products including Ring doorbells, Nest, Google Home Hub, Amazon Echo and Alexa, smart plugs, smart TVs, smart locks and Apple Watch, and points people worried about devices or online accounts to its Secure your Tech guides. It also offers a Digital Break-Up Tool for reviewing app security. The general advice on separating smart devices from shared networks and enabling two-step verification is covered in the site’s pages on account takeover and resetting or disposing of a smart camera or lock, but a survivor should weigh any change against safety advice first, since removing or resetting a device may be noticed.
Getting specialist help
Refuge runs the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247, available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, with online chat at set hours, British Sign Language support and translation services. The helpline can support safety planning that includes technology. People concerned about someone else can also use the resources listed on the Refuge site.
Common questions
Should a device be unplugged straight away?
SARSAS advises developing a safety plan before acting, because some steps can escalate risk. A specialist adviser can help decide what to do and when.
Is smart-home misuse covered by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021?
Section 1 defines domestic abuse by behaviour type, including controlling or coercive behaviour and psychological abuse, without naming devices. How it applies to a particular situation depends on the facts.
Are children’s devices a risk?
SARSAS lists surveillance through children’s connected devices as one way technology can be misused, and recommends reviewing children’s accounts.
The bottom line
Connected home devices can be used to monitor and control, and the charities Refuge and SARSAS both advise a careful, planned response: inventory the devices, secure accounts where it is safe, use separate devices to seek help and speak to a specialist before making visible changes. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 definition covers controlling and psychological abuse without mentioning technology. Support is available round the clock through the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.