Requires the office for the prevention of domestic violence provide informational materials on removing an abuser's access to a smart home

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Republican2
• Democratic1

This bill has cosponsors from more than one party.

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Siela Bynoe says this is needed

In the digital age, domestic violence survivors face new patterns of harassment, control, intimidation, and monitoring through their smart home devices. These attacks can leave survivors feeling powerless and unsafe in the privacy of their own homes even if their abuser no longer lives with them. This issue is fueled by a lack of awareness about the operations of smart home systems, uncertainty of the level of access that abusers may have to smart home technology and the legal resources a survivor can take to cease abuse. A Guardian article published in 2023 highlighted the shocking rise and devastating effects that this abuse can have on survivors. According to a report by refuge, a staggering 57% of homes owned at least one smart device in 2019, and the cases of tech-facilitated abuse reported to Refuge skyrocketed by 258% between 2018 and 2022. Instances of abuse ranged from smart home devices being controlled without consent, cameras being accessed, thermostats being controlled, and home speakers blasting music sporadically. Additionally, research from the group Which? showed that many smart devices stopped receiving security updates from their manufacturers in as little as two years. The unregulated environment of control and fear that is created through the manipulation of this tech- nology underscores the desperate need for more education and resources. This bill would ensure that the state Office of the Prevention of Domes- tic Violence provides survivors with information on how to remedy harassment through the removal of abusers' access to smart home technol- ogy accounts. Additionally, the legislation would require the develop- ment of strategies to improve laws pertaining to cyber harassment and stalking to ensure that as smart home technologies update, information provided to survivors will as well.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.