Intimate partners using smart home devices to monitor and control daily activities
Threatening to release private information unless the target follows specific demands
Compliance-driven abuse leverages technology's capacity for persistent monitoring and credible threats to force behavioral changes in targets. This intent is particularly prevalent in intimate partner violence, where research shows that 72% of domestic violence service users experience abuse through technology (Refuge, 2020). IoT devices enable new forms of compliance-seeking through environmental control—perpetrators can remotely manipulate thermostats, lights, and security systems to demonstrate power and enforce obedience (Lopez-Neira et al., 2019).
"Controlling or Coercive Behavior" (CCB) is a legal term drawn from the UK's Online Safety Act, and is (a) specifically prohibited and (b) platforms must have this term available as a category to report.