Internet of Things (IoT) devices are rapidly penetrating the consumer technology market. This diverse emerging category of sensor-based devices, including audiovisual surveillance systems such as the Ring doorbell, Nest thermostats, voice-activated Amazon Alexa networks, Wi-Fi enabled refrigerators and many other technologies. IoT support the day-to-day activities of users through convenient cross-device data sharing and remote-control capabilities. While these devices support a variety of positive outcomes for the families inviting these technologies into their homes, they simultaneously raise major concerns for privacy and safety, particularly for cases of intimate partner violence. Access to daily activities in the home, alongside user interfaces which prioritize centralized control and automated function, could expand the reach and impact of intimate violence in the hands of an abuser. Though abuse by intimate partners through Internet-connected platforms such as social media and text messages is well-documented, the role of Internet of Things devices in firsthand experiences of abuse have not been examined. Prevalence of Internet of Things-mediated abuse (IoT IPA), risk factors for experiencing this type of abuse, trajectories of abuse via these devices, and how victim survivors seek support for harms inflicted have not been documented. To examine these foundational issues, this dissertation centers on understanding the lived experiences of IoT-mediated abuse survivors. This dissertation investigates how abusers’ use of Internet of Things devices inform intimate partner abuse cycles and investigates how victim survivors utilize support-seeking resources when dealing with IoT IPA. I conducted a qualitative, parallel research methodology. The first study was a netnography of an online community on Reddit.com centered on support seeking and community feedback for firsthand experiences of IoT IPA in intimate relationships. The second study was a semi-structured interview study with self-described IoT IPA victim survivors living in Michigan. Data collection and bottom-up qualitative analysis for the netnography and semi-structured interview study occurred simultaneously. IoT IPA victim survivors undertake misuse forensics. Abused IoT devices are often hidden and used in secret. Thus, to identify and respond to this abuse, victim survivors undertake the misuse forensics process of 1) suspecting their abuser is using technology to violate their personal privacy, 2) processing evidence and considering explanations, and 3) taking action to combat the abuse. IoT IPA victim survivors actively avoid formal support services such as law enforcement in favor of soliciting support from their established, trusted social networks, including informal “tech experts” amongst their friends and family. Fears of social scrutiny alongside an incomplete understanding of how IoT function and what personal data they collect create barriers for seeking support. The sociotechnical capacities of IoT uniquely foster an abusers’ ability to exert coercive control over their victim while simultaneously placing the impetus of action and protection upon victim survivors. Developing policy and design standards for identifying and preventing IoT IPA is of critical importance for managing the scale and penetration of these devices in hundreds of millions of households across the globe. IoT IPA survivors’ lived experiences inform standards and best practices for designing, governing, and researching emerging IoT ecosystems in ways that prioritize user autonomy and safety.
Read
