Physical violence escalation from digital stalking
Victims forced to relocate for safety, with Thorn research showing "1 in 10 moved entirely" due to sextortion (Thorn, 2017)
IoT device manipulation causing physical harm, such as "tampering smart lights at specific frequency ranges...used to induce seizures in people suffering from photosensitive epilepsy" (Ronen & Shamir, 2016)
Description
Physical impacts from TFGBV range from direct bodily harm through manipulated technology to indirect consequences like forced relocation or escalation to offline violence. Technology-facilitated abuse often serves as a precursor to physical violence, with digital control and surveillance enabling perpetrators to track victims' movements and escalate to in-person harm.
IoT devices create new vectors for physical harm through remote manipulation of environmental controls, security systems, or medical devices. The boundary between digital and physical harm is increasingly blurred as technology becomes more integrated into our physical environments.
References
Ronen, E., & Shamir, A. (2016, March 1). Extended Functionality Attacks on IoT Devices: The Case of Smart Lights. IEEE Xplore. https://doi.org/10.1109/EuroSP.2016.13
Straw, I., & Tanczer, L. (2023). Safeguarding patients from technology-facilitated abuse in clinical settings: A narrative review. PLOS Digital Health, 2(1), e0000089. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000089