Online Safety – Your Information

Staying as safe as possible when the person harming you may also be watching your devices, accounts and movements.

When you are living with or escaping domestic abuse, coercive control or stalking, your phone, laptop and online accounts can be used as tools of surveillance and control.

This page gives you practical steps to reduce risk around your devices, accounts and information. It cannot guarantee complete safety, but it can make it harder for someone to monitor or sabotage you.

If you think the abuser has access to your devices or accounts, be very careful about making sudden changes that might alert them. 1VAA can help you plan this safely.

Understanding the Risks

Common ways abusers misuse technology include:

Reading your messages, emails and social media without consent
Installing apps or changing settings to track your location
Logging into your online banking or benefits accounts
Accessing school, medical or social care portals
Using children’s devices to monitor you
Saving your passwords or “remember me” logins on shared devices

Online safety is about reducing these risks in a way that does not increase immediate danger.

Making Your Devices Safer

Where it is safe to do so, consider:

Using a PIN or password on your phone, tablet and laptop
Turning off fingerprint / face unlock if the abuser can use your body against your will (e.g. while you are asleep)
Checking which devices are logged in to your accounts (e.g. email, cloud, social media) and signing out of ones you don’t recognise
Updating your operating system and apps to reduce security vulnerabilities
Avoiding shared devices for sensitive communication where possible
Using a trusted friend’s device or a public computer for critical tasks if your own device is compromised

If changing passwords or settings might trigger abuse, get safety advice first.

Passwords and Accounts

Strong, private passwords reduce the risk of someone accessing your accounts without permission.

Where safe to do so:

Use unique passwords for important accounts (email, banking, benefits, school portals)
Avoid obvious details (birthdays, children’s names, pet names)
Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) where possible – but be aware if the codes go to a phone or email the abuser can see
Check account recovery details (backup email, phone numbers) and update them if they belong to the abuser
Create a separate email account for sensitive communication if it is safe to do so

Your email account is often the “master key” for everything else. Protecting that is a priority.

Location, Tracking and Shared Apps

Abusers may track you using:

“Find my phone” or family locator apps
Shared cloud accounts
Car trackers or smart devices
Location sharing on social media or messaging apps

Where it is safe, you can:

Check which apps have location permissions and turn off any you don’t recognise or need
Review “family sharing” or “find my device” settings
Avoid posting real-time location on social media
Check for unusual devices listed under Bluetooth or connected devices

If you suspect you are being tracked, speak to a specialist domestic abuse service or 1VAA before removing anything that might alert the abuser.

Communicating Safely With Services

When you communicate with police, social care, schools, solicitors or support organisations:

Tell them if the abuser has access to your phone, email or post
Ask them not to leave voicemail messages or detailed texts if this puts you at risk
Ask if they can use coded or neutral language in messages and letters
Consider using a safe address (trusted friend, PO Box) for important post where appropriate
Ask them to confirm key information in writing so you have a record

Professionals should adapt how they contact you once they understand the risk.

Storing Evidence Safely

Evidence is important, but your safety comes first.

Some safer options can include:

Emailing copies of screenshots or photos to a trusted email account the abuser cannot access
Storing copies on an external drive kept away from the home or in a safe place
Using a trusted friend or family member to hold copies of key documents
Keeping a paper copy of crucial information (court orders, key phone numbers) somewhere safe

Do not hide evidence in obvious places on a shared device (e.g. clearly labelled folders on the main screen).