Smart Devices Being Used for Domestic Abuse

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rgMekanic

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In addition to spying on you, 9to5Google is reporting that smart devices are also being used to help carry out domestic abuse. Citing a New York Times story, 30 people were interviewed who were familiar with people misusing smart devices against their partners or former partners. Perpetrators are using the internet connected devices to do things like remote video surveillance, blasting music through speakers, and setting the thermostat to uncomfortable levels. However one of the most common forms of abuse comes from simply locking people out of being able to use the things inside the home.

Before using these devices for evil. lease remember that there are people at Amazon, Google, Ring etc. that sees what you're doing. And they're judging you.

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.
 
first thought that comes to mind:

"Pussification" by George Carlin. If you are intimidated by a smart toaster or smart fridge -- you have bigger problems in life than the scope of this circle jerk fest of an article.

So changing the thermostat on someone now falls under "domestic abuse" and involves emergency responders and shelter workers?

I mean if someone did this:

to my smart fridge, I'd laugh my ass off and have a beer with them.
 
collegeboy69us said:
first thought that comes to mind:

"Pussification" by George Carlin. If you are intimidated by a smart toaster or smart fridge -- you have bigger problems in life than the scope of this circle jerk fest of an article.

So changing the thermostat on someone now falls under "domestic abuse" and involves emergency responders and shelter workers?

I mean if someone did this:

to my smart fridge, I'd laugh my ass off and have a beer with them.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm not sure domestic abuse is the right term. Harassment maybe, and maybe some other charges if the house or it's contents are damaged. Domestic abuse, only if actual physical or mental harm can be proven...and if it goes on long enough for that to happen, then there were certainly issues (re: domestic abuse) before technology got involved.
 
"setting the thermostat to uncomfortable levels"

I cant stop laughing. The HORROR!

I mean really this sounds like a great party recipe.

Invite women, blast music, turn heat up to get said women to take tops off and show titties, use video surveillance to record said titties.

I don't see the problem.
 
OpenSource said:
"setting the thermostat to uncomfortable levels"

I cant stop laughing. The HORROR!

I mean really this sounds like a great party recipe.

Invite women, blast music, turn heat up to get said women to take tops off and show titties, use video surveillance to record said titties.

I don't see the problem.
Click to expand...
The problem? You are not sharing said videos with the rest of us.
 
Imagine all of those smart devices installed in every apartments in NYC....
 
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collegeboy69us said:
"Pussification" by George Carlin. If you are intimidated by a smart toaster or smart fridge -- you have bigger problems in life than the scope of this circle jerk fest of an article.
Click to expand...

Then I don't think you're ever witnessed that kind of abuse, or talked to people who lived through it.

It's hard to imagine, because it's totally irrational, but abusees are afraid of all kinds of ridiculous things, like leaving the house alone or even cooking for themself. They get a sense of dependence on the abuser in their mind... it warps everything. If the abuser is now on the other end of the fridge or thermostat, and if messing with it could invoke anger/future punishment from the abuser, you can bet they'll be afraid of it. Thats basic comditioning 101, and it also reinforces the whole dominance situation psychologically by giving the abuser more of a presence when away.
 
Domestic abuse? Not sure about that. But tech moves much faster than the judicial system. I guess they have to call it something, and I agree it's wrong. People shouldn't be able to get away with harassment like that.

I stay away from snooping gizmos. Even my built-in web cam has a tiny piece of black electrical tape covering it. I have nothing to hide, but I don't need to have anybody watch me not hiding stuff. Why people are so crazy about always-listening/watching crap just amazes me.

Before any of you start, yes, I know, Win 10 is always snooping. I've turned all that can off.
 
I think they call it abuse, as it is part of the pattern.. i don't think anyone would call it abuse if you one day jack up the thermostat on your wife and wait until she calls you but instead she calls the service person and you come home to find your fancy thermostat gone, and replaced with a plain honeywell one along with a 300$ dollar bill, then everybody laughed, and you have to get your thermostat from the garbage.
That is just a joke.. what they are getting at, is abuse... real abuse, sometimes you don't even know any better as the abused.
That said, this is probably something happening in a more monied part of society, hence its probably deeply hiddeb too.
 
“They feel like they’re losing control of their home,” she said. “After they spend a few days here, they realize they were being abused.”
Click to expand...
This sound like an incredibly easy problem to deal with, but more importantly it raises so many questions; how did someone end up living in a house where they have no control of its convenience functions? Are they easily exploited IoT devices? How did someone get into the situation where they have no knowledge or disclosure of these devices?

I mean, there's some required backstory for any of this to make sense. Am I supposed to dream up facts while reading the news?
 
How long ago was that South Park episode making settings for spy devices? Are people really that incapable of learning.

Oh well I suppose this is basically the evil version of just continuing to use an exes Netflix account.
 
brucethemoose said:
Then I don't think you're ever witnessed that kind of abuse, or talked to people who lived through it.

It's hard to imagine, because it's totally irrational, but abusees are afraid of all kinds of ridiculous things, like leaving the house alone or even cooking for themself. They get a sense of dependence on the abuser in their mind... it warps everything. If the abuser is now on the other end of the fridge or thermostat, and if messing with it could invoke anger/future punishment from the abuser, you can bet they'll be afraid of it. Thats basic comditioning 101, and it also reinforces the whole dominance situation psychologically by giving the abuser more of a presence when away.
Click to expand...

Leave.
 
Am I the only one in the world who hasn't outfitted his home with all sorts of internet connected devices???
Other than computers/tablets, that's it as far as connectivity. I don't even have my smart TVs connected (each TV has an HTPC instead).

Tell Alexa to close the garage door and turn off the heat? No thanks...
 
Not everyone is a tech person. A lot of these folks probably have no way to tell a 'smart/spy' device from a normal one. Especially if their former associate is the one that installed the gizmo(s). They set the thermostat on 78 and are totally mystified that it is now on 98. Or that the TV suddenly just came on or went off or started talking to them. And they are clueless as to why their bedroom antics with their new associate is now trending on the Internet.

Seems like this type of misuse of IOT gizmos should run afoul of any number of state and federal computer crimes laws. No need for new laws, use the ones we already have.
 
Dead Parrot said:
Not everyone is a tech person. A lot of these folks probably have no way to tell a 'smart/spy' device from a normal one. Especially if their former associate is the one that installed the gizmo(s). They set the thermostat on 78 and are totally mystified that it is now on 98. Or that the TV suddenly just came on or went off or started talking to them. And they are clueless as to why their bedroom antics with their new associate is now trending on the Internet.

Seems like this type of misuse of IOT gizmos should run afoul of any number of state and federal computer crimes laws. No need for new laws, use the ones we already have.
Click to expand...

As you note, we do already have laws that can apply. The problem is in evidence - how does one prove an ex is screwing with their lives? It helps to have laws that specify IoT devices can be weaponized in this fashion.
 
Pffft

My sympathy meter registers zero.

If you are stupid enough to have these devices in your home,....well.....you deserve it.
 
pfc_m_drake said:
Am I the only one in the world who hasn't outfitted his home with all sorts of internet connected devices???
Click to expand...


nope. I am waiting for when i can have the voice recognition done all in my own home on a central server i set up.
 
brucethemoose said:
Then I don't think you're ever witnessed that kind of abuse, or talked to people who lived through it.

It's hard to imagine, because it's totally irrational, but abusees are afraid of all kinds of ridiculous things, like leaving the house alone or even cooking for themself. They get a sense of dependence on the abuser in their mind... it warps everything. If the abuser is now on the other end of the fridge or thermostat, and if messing with it could invoke anger/future punishment from the abuser, you can bet they'll be afraid of it. Thats basic comditioning 101, and it also reinforces the whole dominance situation psychologically by giving the abuser more of a presence when away.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying. But people need to stop cowering and hiding. In this instance we are talking about flimsy devices in a house causing control from one person over the other. Instead of going into panic shut down, people need to step up and do something about it. For this problem, rip the shit out and be better off without that useless garbage in your life.

Now I bet there will be people saying that the mind once trapped can't be released to take out these devices, Stockholm syndrome for example. I don't buy that as an excuse, if you can't control your own life you need to get proper help and not give in.
 
That_Sound_Guy said:
I get what you're saying. But people need to stop cowering and hiding. In this instance we are talking about flimsy devices in a house causing control from one person over the other. Instead of going into panic shut down, people need to step up and do something about it. For this problem, rip the shit out and be better off without that useless garbage in your life.

Now I bet there will be people saying that the mind once trapped can't be released to take out these devices, Stockholm syndrome for example. I don't buy that as an excuse, if you can't control your own life you need to get proper help and not give in.
Click to expand...

It's not that complex. Rip the device out, and you get a beating later. That's a pretty straightforward deterrent.


The fundamental problem, to put it bluntly, is that lots of abusees won't man up and leave/deal with the situation.
 
That_Sound_Guy said:
I get what you're saying. But people need to stop cowering and hiding. In this instance we are talking about flimsy devices in a house causing control from one person over the other. Instead of going into panic shut down, people need to step up and do something about it. For this problem, rip the shit out and be better off without that useless garbage in your life.

Now I bet there will be people saying that the mind once trapped can't be released to take out these devices, Stockholm syndrome for example. I don't buy that as an excuse, if you can't control your own life you need to get proper help and not give in.
Click to expand...
Yes, and addicts need to stop addicting, and the world is fixed.
I do understand what you say, just a minor poke there... but keep in mind, and profundly in your being these things are easy to say and imagine when you are, you know, just okay and normal... but when you are in it.. you are in it.. its not that easy, and the thought process like yours, doesn't even develop, this i know.
 
brucethemoose said:
It's not that complex. Rip the device out, and you get a beating later. That's a pretty straightforward deterrent.


The fundamental problem, to put it bluntly, is that lots of abusees won't man up and leave/deal with the situation.
Click to expand...

There are vulnerable people and those dealing with permanent illnesses who can't leave and work. And there are small towns that are very car-centric, which made sense when they were young and healthy. Sometimes there are buses that will go to homes of the elderly or people in wheelchairs, etc. and give some mobility but it's not incredibly freeing. Elder abuse needs more attention, and in theory people won't mess with their Echo, but who knows. Maybe they want the residents to clear the house for a robbery or identity theft, etc. Maybe to get them to sell the house or the farm on the cheap, destroy it for a new gaudy mansion or entire development.

A former NFL player is accused of raping women over 55, there are depraved people out there.
 
brucethemoose said:
The fundamental problem, to put it bluntly, is that lots of abusees won't man up and leave/deal with the situation.
Click to expand...


Ive seen quite a few cases like this. The person rationalizes it. At the end of the day when its all over they admit they knew they could walk away but invariably they come up with some rationalization why they didnt like:

I thought I could change him/her...
I thought it was better than what I had before...
I didnt want to hurt him/her....
He/she needed me...
I didnt want to be alone

Etc etc. There are the cases where they do physically threaten and try to kill. Those are different than the mind games mentioned in the article imo.
 
brucethemoose said:
It's not that complex. Rip the device out, and you get a beating later. That's a pretty straightforward deterrent.

The fundamental problem, to put it bluntly, is that lots of abusees won't man up and leave/deal with the situation.
Click to expand...

Fair point. Now here is where the world has gone soft, any person who uses this type of mental warfare or strong-arm on a knowingly weak minded or trapped individual needs to be rid from this world.


Uvaman2 said:
Yes, and addicts need to stop addicting, and the world is fixed.
I do understand what you say, just a minor poke there... but keep in mind, and profundly in your being these things are easy to say and imagine when you are, you know, just okay and normal... but when you are in it.. you are in it.. its not that easy, and the thought process like yours, doesn't even develop, this i know.
Click to expand...

I'm addicted to caffeine, does that count? :)

I joke but I know this isn't a laughing matter. I had a family member who was trapped by her spouse who was a rampant drunk and was suppressed mentally and physically for a long time. Thankfully they are now split and the alcoholic jackass is dead (from alcohol). I just struggle since I don't use these smart devices in house to see why someone would tolerate a cheap electronic gizmo which is ruining their life........... Course as I type that, I think cell phones and how many lives that screws up every hour.



Global EMP, lets end the machines control! :rage:
 
How much of this domestic abuse is actually using these devices to prove false abuse allegations. Seems most of the stuff would work to show the truth in most cases.
 
I actually know someone that had this happen to them - it was abusive. They and their partner split after living together for several years. The other person was not happy about the situation - so started turning the thermostat up to 90 degrees. The other person gets home, house it hot.
Lights on/off randomly. The person living at the place was able to change passwords on a few items and block the X out. Some devices really have no password, guessing an API key? They ended up getting rid of some of it as the other person would keep messing with it and the password reset didn't do anything.
I know my friend had talked to the police - they were kind of scratching their heads a bit on how to handle it. I think they mentioned getting a restraining order, but the other person had moved to a different state. They were just being an asshole.
Shrugs. The world we live in now...
 
singe_101 said:
There are vulnerable people and those dealing with permanent illnesses who can't leave and work. And there are small towns that are very car-centric, which made sense when they were young and healthy. Sometimes there are buses that will go to homes of the elderly or people in wheelchairs, etc. and give some mobility but it's not incredibly freeing. Elder abuse needs more attention, and in theory people won't mess with their Echo, but who knows. Maybe they want the residents to clear the house for a robbery or identity theft, etc. Maybe to get them to sell the house or the farm on the cheap, destroy it for a new gaudy mansion or entire development.

A former NFL player is accused of raping women over 55, there are depraved people out there.
Click to expand...

Of course, yeah. Some people are physically confined more than others.

I was just responding to the attitude of "well, they should just rip it out and get help". Because even among people who are (technically) physically capable of doing that, it often doesn't happen.
 
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