In response to a global increase in domestic violence, which has led to a request for action by the UN, IBM proposes five design principles aimed at combating a new generation of domestic abuse – coercive control facilitated by technology
The technology ecosystem is full of innovators who constantly bring us products and devices that improve our lives. With the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have come to appreciate even more its ability to keep us together and improve our well-being. There is no doubt that technology has great potential for good, providing a mechanism to increase connection and protection; but the sad reality is that bad actors can exploit this to wreak havoc in the real world.
The same technologies that protect us, ease our routine and enrich our experience are being manipulated by abusers to exert control over their victims. This weaponry of technology is particularly frequent in domestic abuse, especially coercive control – a relentless pattern of behavior control aimed at instilling fear and submission in the victim.
Domestic abuse is a universal problem in society that affects all countries. According to the UN, in Latin America, 1 in 3 women on average has already suffered violence throughout their lives. Each year, around 20 million women and girls suffer violence in the region. It's even more disturbing what showed a recent UN report which analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on women, and highlighted an increasing trend of abuse as homes are placed under the strain of self-isolation and lockdown.
This has already taken on such a large proportion that UN chief António Guterres is asking for measures to address the "horrible global increase in domestic violence".
Abusers use anything at their disposal to further their own ends, and that includes technology. While the methods of abuse facilitated by technology are very varied, what is particularly insidious is that applications created with the best intentions are being used for malevolent ends.
For example, credit card apps that provide purchase notifications are built to help fight fraud. However, its use can increase control over victims with details of what they are spending being constantly monitored.
Technology-facilitated abuse is a challenging problem, and there is no simple solution to eliminate it. However, by making subtle decisions – balancing intended and unintended consequences – it is possible to build the technology to be resistant to this. To help technologists make these decisions, IBM is proposing five fundamental design principles to make products resistant to any kind of coercive control. (3) They are:
1. Promote diversity, so technology designers will consider all potential technology users, not just the assumed user.
2. Ensure privacy and choice so users can make informed decisions about their privacy settings and ensure their data is not shared.
3. Combat manipulation so that there is a digital record of evidence and aggressors cannot manipulate the victims, casting doubt on their memories.
4. Strengthen security and data so that technology users have joint control, just collecting and sharing necessary information.
5. Make technology more intuitive so victims can navigate the technology more easily.
While many see coercive control as a problem that affects women, it has broader societal ramifications as it can happen in any type of relationship – especially when there is an imbalance of power. Some examples would be among caregivers and the vulnerable, the elderly or the disabled, within institutions and even in the workplace. Our five design principles would apply equally to technologies created for all of these situations.
The number of internet-connected devices could reach 125 billion by 2030. As these devices become more prevalent, abusers will have more tools to manipulate their victims. It is essential that we protect new technologies with resources from abuse since their inception so that abusers cannot use their tools to harm the victim.
Making technology more resistant to this coercive control ensures that others cannot exploit the invention, mask intentions, or overshadow the luster of technological achievements. And most importantly, it's a critical step towards making the digital world safer for all of us.
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