The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the home and our daily lives delivers convenience, efficiency, and connection. Smart locks that open a door with a voice command, thermostats that learn our comfort patterns, phones that track our steps and sleep—technology now lives in our pockets through powerful apps, keyless cars, bedrooms, and even in our front door entry. Yet these same technologies, when misused, are rapidly becoming tools of coercive control in abusive relationships.

Digital abuse is no longer limited to threatening messages or stolen passwords. A perpetrator may lock someone out of their home using a smart-lock app, turn off lights or heat a room remotely, control smart speakers in the home to intimidate or harass, or use GPS-enabled devices to continually track movement. This tech-facilitated surveillance can undermine a survivor’s sense of safety, autonomy, and reality, and it often........

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