Researchers
Associate Professor Katharine Kemp, Law & Justice, UNSW
Dr Emma Buxton-Namisnyk, Law & Justice, UNSW
Adjunct Associate Professor Vanessa Teague, Australian National University
Funding
This project was part of the Australian Human Rights Institute’s 2025 joint seed funding round with UNSW's Faculty of Law & Justice, receiving $15,000.
Summary
Technology facilitated abuse (TFA) is an increasing cause for concern in the field of domestic and family violence (DFV). TFA describes the circumstances where perpetrators of DFV use technology to monitor, coerce, stalk, harass and violate victim-survivors. New technologies with remote control and tracking functions are increasing the reach and power of perpetrators of DFV.
Cars are a particularly critical asset for victim-survivors attempting to leave situations of DFV and are a common technology used by victim-survivors who remain in relationships with perpetrators. However, to date there has been relatively little focus on the specific ways in which perpetrators are able to utilise connected cars in the perpetration of DFV, what victim-survivors can do to protect themselves from this risk, and what regulatory and privacy issues may be of relevance to this issue.
Connected cars are an emerging category of consumer vehicles. They are marketed for features including automatic SOS calls in the event of an accident, notifications when a child is left in the back seat, remotely checking fuel levels and location, and rating the safety of drivers’ driving. Someone with access to an app linked to the connected car may be able to track the car’s location, initiate in-cabin recordings, lock or unlock the parked car, speak into the external microphones of the parked car, and more. These seemingly innocuous features can transform connected cars into sophisticated surveillance devices.
It is estimated that 93% of new cars sold in Australia in 2031 will have embedded mobile connectivity. It is crucial that policymakers, manufacturers and retailers consider the potential harms embedded in connected car functions and develop safeguards against these harms. This research project will delve into the under-examined issue of TFA via connected cars in Australia by mapping how current laws, policies and systems fail to protect victim-survivors. The Australian Human Rights Institute will fund the foundational research for a longer-term project focusing on the necessary policy and law reforms required to adequately address TFA via connected vehicles.