Wyden, Eshoo, Lesko Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Domestic Abusers from Targeting Survivors with Technology

Press Release

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representatives Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., and Debbie Lesko, R-Arizona, today introduced bipartisan legislation to help prevent domestic abusers from using technology to stalk, harass or control survivors.

Technology-enabled abuse takes many forms, from the most basic social media platforms and phone-based apps to specialty spyware apps, demonstrating that this sort of abuse does not require huge financial resources or complex knowledge of technology. Despite the seriousness and rise of technology-enabled abuse -- especially during the COVID-19 pandemic -- programs providing support to victims of intimate partner violence report low levels of confidence in recognizing and addressing technology-enabled abuse.

The Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Act would help close this gap in support by providing new grant funding to clinics and other partnerships focused on addressing domestic violence and technology-enabled abuse, as well as supporting new training and education to equip more organizations with the specialized services needed to help more survivors.

"Survivors of domestic abuse shouldn't have to worry about an abusive partner tracking them on social media or hacking into their email or other accounts to get information on their location or other aspects of their life. These scary practices have become all too common, and yet, there are not enough resources to help protect survivors from the misuse of technology by their abusers," Wyden said. "Education and training, as well as support for more clinics with expertise in domestic abuse and technology, are desperately needed to get survivors the care they need."

"The proliferation of technology has made nonphysical abuse more common and more devastating for victims, and tech-enabled abuse has only escalated during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Eshoo. "Despite the scope of tech-enabled abuse, advocates who work with domestic violence victims and survivors report low levels of confidence in being able to recognize and address tech-enabled abuse. Our legislation hits at the cross-section of domestic violence and tech by establishing two grant programs to improve services and resources for victims."

"I am a survivor of domestic violence, so I know firsthand the devastating impact it has on survivors and the difficulties they face as a result," said Lesko. "Unfortunately, perpetrators have utilized modern technology to further harass and abuse their victims. I am proud to work with my colleagues on this important, bipartisan bill to improve the resources and services available for survivors and help combat tech-enabled abuse."

The Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Act would take two significant actions to combat technology-enabled domestic abuse:

It would authorize a pilot project run by Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women to establish more tech-enabled abuse clinics. The grant program would provide $2 million grants for up to 15 clinics and other partnerships providing support to sexual and domestic violence victims who are experiencing technology-enabled abuse.
It would establish an additional grant program, also under the Office on Violence Against Women, for nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to develop and implement training and educational programs and technical assistance for organizations and individuals who provide support for victims of tech-enabled abuse.

Source