Apple’s New Safety Check is a Tool for Survivors

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Yesterday, Apple announced their new Safety Check feature which allows Apple users to quickly secure their devices. This tool will be a helpful resource for survivors who are concerned about an abuser having access to their devices and accounts. 

Safety Check gives users two options: they can review all the ways that others may have access to their information and individually customize settings or they can do a quick safety reset to  stop all access others may have to track location, messages, apps, or anything else. 

Apple worked with the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), and our sister organization in Australia, WESNET. We are grateful Apple reached out to experts to get feedback in the development of Safety Check and that they incorporated our input to create a tool that gives users control and choices to increase their privacy and safety. 

Learn more about Safety Check here and visit our Survivor Technology Safety & Privacy Toolkit for more about technology and abuse.

The Tech Safety App Has Been Updated

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National Network to End Domestic Violence’s Safety Net Project launched our Tech Safety App a few years ago to provide both survivors and advocates with information about tech abuse and options for taking action to address it. Today, we are releasing version 2.0, updated to reflect newer technology, forms of tech abuse, and strategies for increasing privacy and safety. The most common kinds of abuse covered in the app include harassment, location tracking, and surveillance via phones, tablets, computers, and gaming devices. The Tech Safety App also has safety and privacy tips for social media and other apps.

 The Tech Safety App can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store or Google Play. A web-based version is also available at TechSafetyApp.org, which can be a safer option for survivors who are worried their phone is being monitored. In that case, we would suggest using a trusted person’s phone or a computer at school, work, or the library to access the site. The app or site can also be accessed with an advocate if the survivor is working with a victim services program.

All of the content in the app is available in English and Spanish, including audio versions and embedded videos.

Survivors and advocates can access in-depth information about technology safety in our Survivors’ Toolkit.

Partnering for Security

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This past Fall, Safety Net partnered with NortonLifeLock to host two webinars on Privacy and Security Tools for Survivors. The first webinar looked at tools including two-factor authentication, password managers, and social media account settings. The second webinar took a deeper dive into security and privacy planning when survivor are relocating.

“We discussed strategies for common scenarios,” says NortonLifeLock’s Paige Hanson, who presented on the webinars, “like relocating with existing devices and accounts and keeping physical locations confidential, keeping the devices and accounts themselves private and inaccessible, and setting up new devices and accounts.”

It is so important for everyone to learn more about how to increase privacy and security with devices and accounts, and these webinars helped attendees with the basics. One attendee wrote, “I appreciate all the resources and tips that were provided. Cyber Security is not something I'm a subject matter expert on, so I want to know as much as I can when helping develop a safety plan with a survivor- and these things are very important!”

If you haven’t updated your account or device security in a bit, here are a few quick tips:

  • Change the passwords for your apps and accounts. Use different passwords for accounts that contain sensitive or personally identifying information.

  • Set up additional security such as two-factor authentication.

  • Add a screen lock. This could be a passcode, pattern, or your fingerprint, for example.

  • Use an anti-virus security app.

  • Check your privacy & security settings. Look for privacy and security checkup tools for each platform that can guide you through the changes you can make. 

  • Ask friends and family to get your permission before they share anything about you.

NNEDV is grateful for NortonLifeLock’s support and their commitment to increasing security for survivors. On Norton’s blog, they wrote, “through our partnership on the Safety Net Program, we’re addressing the intersection between technology and safety helping to create safer spaces for victims and potential victims and end technology abuse.” We look forward to continuing to build capacity around privacy and security planning for those who work to support survivors.

If you missed the webinars, you can watch the recordings:

Tools for Online Privacy and Security

Device and Account Security in Safety Planning for Relocation