Designing Against Domestic Violence

The reality of domestic violence doesn’t disappear when people enter the digital world - abusers often utilize technology to exploit and control their victims. How can technologists help ensure that users of our products are empowered to protect their safety? This talk will explore how to consider the reality of violence, make thoughtful considerations, and advocate for an emphasis on safety.

Learning objectives
After this talk, attendees will be able to:
-Understand the intersections of technology and domestic abuse
-Identify possible abuse cases that an abuser could carry out with their products
-Advocate for safety to their team and stakeholders
-Explain why domestic violence in tech is not merely an “edge case”
-Draw upon a wide variety of examples of ways that various types of technology can be used as tools of abuse within 5 main areas: financial abuse; “Smart” home devices; pregnancy, wellness, and fitness products; geo-location services; personal security.

This talk is aimed at designers, developers, project managers, and anyone else who has a hand in creating a digital product.

Warning:
This presentation will deal explicitly with domestic violence and may be triggering for some attendees. Please do not hesitate to leave the event at any time should you need to.