Phones, watches, home security, vacuum cleaners, watering systems, fridges and cars – smart tech makes life easier, but it can also be misused. Learn about the risks of connected devices, what families and frontline workers in domestic violence can do, and what tech companies need to change.
In this online safety advisory:
- Smart cars a new tool for abuse
- The risks of smart tech and why this matters now
- What are connected devices?
- How abuse happens
- What eSafety is doing
- What parents, carers and adult family members can do
- Practical steps to reduce tech-based risks
- Guidance for frontline family and domestic violence workers
- What tech companies should do
- Resources and further reading
Smart cars a new tool for abuse
Smart cars are the latest in a long line of connected devices being weaponised in family and domestic violence.
‘Smart’ means a vehicle linked to an app and cloud account that can show its location, start the engine, lock or unlock, and/or send alerts.
Frontline family and domestic violence workers are telling eSafety they’re seeing more reports of coercive control via smart cars – suggesting an emerging trend in an all-too-familiar space.
The same patterns of abuse keep appearing across all smart devices:
- tracking and location trails
- remote commands and alerts
- shared accounts that don’t get revoked after separation
- data that lingers across apps, clouds and devices.
This advisory sets out those patterns, shows the warning signs, and gives practical steps that apply across all devices and platforms.
We focus on safety planning, so any changes you make do not escalate risk. We look at account resets, dealership or retailer actions, and ways to cut down location and data exposure.
We also set clear expectations for companies – such as building safer default settings, collecting less data, and making it easier for victim-survivors to transfer accounts.
The risks of smart tech and why this matters now
Smart features are becoming standard on devices we carry, wear, and use at home and on the road.
As adoption grows, so do the opportunities for misuse – especially during relationship breakdowns. This is when account control and location access can be most dangerous.
In short: more devices mean more data, and more places an abuser can exploit – unless safety is built in by design.
In recent discussions with frontline family and domestic violence workers, eSafety is hearing more reports of abuse involving connected cars.
While comprehensive data is still unavailable, the feedback from practitioners indicates connected cars are emerging as a new weapon in the ongoing misuse of Internet of Things devices (IoT).
In the US, regulators now recognise connected-car safety as an urgent issue. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has begun reviewing how to protect people experiencing family and domestic violence when using connected vehicles.
In Australia, there are similar warning signs. The NSW Crime Commission found one in four people who bought tracking devices had a history of family and domestic violence. This shows there are risks with vehicle tracking.
What are connected devices?
A connected (or smart) device links to an app and cloud service to send or receive data or remote commands. This includes:
- wearables (smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smart glasses)
- personal devices (phones and tablets with synched accounts)
- home and IoT products (security cameras, doorbells, locks, speakers, thermostats, appliances, and home hubs)
- vehicles (smart cars, e-bikes, and scooters).
All these devices can be helpful. But in family and domestic violence contexts, they can be used to monitor, control, and intimidate – or worse.
How abuse happens
Tracking and logs. Trip histories, ‘find my’ tools, device pings and geofence alerts can reveal routines and locations – home, school, work, refuge – even if the person is not actively sharing this information.
Remote commands and alerts. Apps can unlock doors, trigger lights and speakers, blast horns, start or stop engines, or flood a phone with prompts. These actions can harass, intimidate or be a sign of unwanted surveillance.
Account and permission control after separation. Shared IDs, family accounts, paired keys, secondary user profiles, and dealer or retailer records can leave someone else in control unless their access is revoked.
Data hoarding on devices and in the cloud. Contact lists, call logs, health data, saved addresses, garage codes, photos and videos can remain stored on devices and backups – even after you think you’ve deleted them or switched to a new device.
Third-party sharing. Device and driving data may be shared with brokers, insurers or other parties, expanding who can access sensitive information. You should share your location or personal data only if you choose to do so freely and understand what it means. You can change your mind and stop sharing whenever you like. If you feel pressured, threatened or forced into sharing, that is not consent.
Multiple connected devices. Phones, watches, car apps, vacuum cleaners, doorbells, modems and home hubs all create several places where access must be reset or revoked, making it easy to miss something.
Using connected tech to monitor, track or control a partner is abuse and may be a crime.
What eSafety is doing
eSafety offers practical advice to help victim-survivors deal with tech-based abuse (also known as technology-facilitated abuse), including issues with connected devices. We provide options for people to report online harms.
We publish practical, plain language information for families and educators, and refer people to specialist family and domestic violence support where risks extend beyond our powers.
eSafety provides a Technology-Facilitated Abuse Support Service for frontline workers. Through our support service enquiry form, workers can book a phone appointment online to get clear, practical advice on the technology steps involved in safety planning and case management.
We promote Safety by Design across the connected device landscape.
We collaborate with partners in Australia and around the world to lift industry standards and encourage inclusive design – bringing diverse users into product development and engaging men and boys in prevention.
What parents, carers and adult family members can do
If there’s immediate risk:
- call the police (000)
- contact support services such as 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for safety planning and referrals
- review eSafety’s guidance on tech-based abuse and connected devices
- use alternative transport and safe devices while you plan changes.
Practical steps to reduce tech-based risks
Your safety comes first. Before changing any devices or accounts, consider getting support. A trained service can help you decide which steps are appropriate, relevant and safe for your situation. If you’re in immediate danger – or worried about someone else’s safety – call emergency services on Triple Zero (000)
Don’t reveal what steps you’re taking. If the person using abuse may be watching, plan changes in a safe place on a safe device.
Consider collecting evidence. It’s also important to consider reporting tech-based abuse to police, especially before making any changes to accounts or devices. Our guidance on how to get police and legal help and how to collect evidence safely may assist.
Reset account control. Consider setting up a new main account on a ‘clean’ device, using a private email and phone number. Update your passphrases and turn on two-factor authentication for everything. Remove any extra users and shared keys.
Revoke access everywhere. Log out of companion apps on all devices, revoke old app tokens and sessions, and unlink any shared Apple or Google IDs where appropriate.
Retailer or dealership reset. Ask the service desk or dealer to reset telematics or device links, remove former users, re-issue digital keys, and confirm no valet/fleet/service access remains.
Clear the device or system. Factory reset or clear data on infotainment systems, cameras and hubs; delete paired phones, saved addresses and garage codes; repair only what you need.
Minimise tracking and alerts. Turn off live location and drive scoring, disable geofence alerts and ‘find my’ sharing, and review what’s visible on lockscreens and shared dashboards. Treat sharing as a choice, not a default. It’s fine to turn sharing on for a short time – such as a trip – and turn it off again later.
Documentation and support. Maintain a clear record of every incident – note dates, save screenshots, and keep receipts. This can support police reports and protection orders. Car logs can show remote commands and access, which can help show patterns of misuse and strengthen your case.
Guidance for frontline family and domestic violence workers
Frontline workers are often first to hear about technology being used to monitor, intimidate, or control. The aim is to reduce risk without escalating abuse, while helping the person regain control over accounts and devices.
Plan technology steps carefully. Consider eSafety’s online resources for frontline workers. These resources are designed to help support clients as part of the broader case management and safety planning. The resources cater for clients in different circumstances such as those thinking of leaving or those who have just left.
Capture critical details. Record what the person is experiencing in their own words. Include screenshots, dates and logs (such as unusual alerts, door unlocks, remote commands, location pings). This can help build a picture and support referrals or reports later.
Help clients strengthen main accounts. Especially those accounts that control access to location, backups, and apps. Securing them is a first step to making sure data is not shared or compromised.
Make changes on a safe device in a safe place. Take back account control: set a new primary email and phone, use strong passphrases, turn on two-factor authentication, and remove any secondary or unknown users.
Dealership and device reset. When relevant, ask the dealership, retailer or service desk to reset linked services and confirm no third-party access remains. Clear stored data and re-pair only what is needed.
Helps clients minimise location and alerts. Turn off live location sharing, geofences and ‘find my’ features where it’s safe to do so. Review what is shown on lock screens, shared dashboards and family accounts. Consider interim transport or device use during the transition.
Coordinate supports. With consent, involve police, legal services, specialist family and domestic violence services and school staff as appropriate. Where online harms are covered by eSafety, support the person to make a report using our service.
Use specialised guidance and training. Refer to eSafety’s tech-based abuse guidance and resources. This includes step-by-step safety planning materials and professional development. Also contact eSafety’s Technology-Facilitated Abuse Support Service for advice on connected technologies, along with practical steps to enhance privacy and security.
What tech companies should do
To reduce harm, tech companies must build safety into devices and accounts from the start.
Emergency lockouts and safe transfers. Provide a simple, documented way to revoke all access and transfer ownership during separation without contact with the other party.
Safe defaults and minimisation. Keep location sharing off for secondary users, collect less information by default, and only share data when someone clearly gives permission and can change their mind later.
User-visible audit logs. Offer a clear history of account access, location pings and remote commands that can be exported for evidence.
Risk-aware interfaces. Interfaces should use extra security checks and send alerts whenever someone tries to do important things, such as adding a user, exporting records, or connecting a new device.
Retailer and dealership standards. Retailers and dealerships should always reset devices or accounts when they are sold or change owners, and make sure staff know how to do this safely for people who have experienced abuse.
Transparency. Be clear about what data is collected, how long it is kept and who it is shared with – and publish response times for incident handling.
Resources and further reading
- eSafety technology-facilitated abuse hub and safety-planning resources for clients
- eSafety support service enquiry form
- 1800RESPECT national counselling and referrals (1800 737 732)
