The Invisible
Architecture
of Modern Abuse.
Abuse did not begin with technology. But technology has changed how far control can reach, how long it can continue, and how difficult it can be to escape.
Leaving should mean being able to leave.
For some people, physical distance no longer creates digital distance.
Domestic abuse has never been confined to physical violence. It can involve stalking, intimidation, financial restriction, isolation and the gradual erosion of someone's independence and sense of reality.
Today, perpetrators can misuse the ordinary systems of connected life: phones, location sharing, social media, cloud accounts, smart home devices and wearable technology.
Artificial intelligence adds another dimension. Synthetic voices, manipulated photographs, deepfake imagery, fabricated messages and digital impersonation can be used to threaten, intimidate or discredit someone.
These technologies were not necessarily developed for abuse. Yet in the wrong hands, they can extend control beyond physical proximity and into almost every part of a person's life.
We must understand not only what technology enables, but what happens when it becomes an instrument of coercion.
“Abuse no longer stops at the front door. It can travel through phones, accounts, devices and the digital traces of everyday life.”
The same desire for control. An expanding set of tools.
Technology-facilitated abuse is often part of a wider pattern of coercive control. The technology may be new, but the underlying behaviours of surveillance, intimidation and domination are not.
Location without proximity
GPS trackers, misused location sharing, connected vehicles and wearable technology can expose someone's movements after physical separation.
Access without permission
Shared cloud accounts, compromised passwords, spyware and connected home systems can allow continued access to private information.
Harassment without boundaries
Social media and messaging platforms can be exploited for relentless contact, impersonation, monitoring and psychological pressure.
Identity made vulnerable
AI-generated imagery, voice cloning and synthetic content can be used to threaten, humiliate or falsely represent someone.
Evidence under pressure
Fabricated content, and claims that genuine material has been fabricated, can complicate the authentication and interpretation of evidence.
The workplace is not separate
Work schedules, workplace devices, confidential correspondence and well-intentioned employer responses can all intersect with a person's safety.
Why this work matters to me.
Louize Clark
Founder, AI Policies UK
I grew up in a household where domestic violence was part of life from a very young age. Later, I experienced serious domestic abuse myself.
I know that control does not always end when someone walks out of a door or leaves a relationship.
Long before today's artificial intelligence systems, I experienced stalking, harassment and the misuse of social media and technology. I understand how deeply that can affect someone's freedom, confidence and ability to feel safe.
What concerns me today is how much further technology can extend that control. Our lives leave continuous digital footprints. Our locations, connections, photographs, conversations and routines can be exposed in ways that would once have been unimaginable.
AI introduces additional capabilities: synthetic identities, manipulated photographs, voice cloning and increasingly convincing digital impersonation.
For many years, my work in coaching, human behaviour and organisational change has focused on understanding people, their experiences, their responses and their ability to rebuild a sense of agency.
Through AI Policies UK, my work has also focused on the growing gap between what technology can do and what organisations and institutions understand about its consequences.
This initiative brings those parts of my life together.
I do not believe the answer is simply to fear technology or reject it. The answer begins with understanding how it is being used, recognising the changing nature of harm and ensuring that our systems of protection evolve alongside it.
I want to contribute to a future where employers, institutions and support services understand these risks, and where people affected by abuse have greater opportunities to reclaim their independence, confidence and sense of self.
— Louize Clark
Understanding the harm. Changing the response. Supporting recovery.
AI Policies UK has developed three connected bodies of work examining technology-facilitated coercive control, organisational preparedness and survivor education.
The Invisible Architecture of Modern Abuse
An examination of how technology, AI-generated content and digital surveillance can extend coercive control.
The paper considers the implications for police, courts, employers, public institutions and the services responsible for protecting people.
Technology-Facilitated Domestic Abuse
A workplace guidance framework and adaptable policy template developed for employers, HR professionals and organisational leaders.
It addresses recognition, confidential communication, digital safety awareness, workplace adjustments, escalation and specialist support pathways.
Visible Again
A proposed survivor education programme structured around three phases: Recognition, Safety and Recovery.
Its purpose is to help people understand technology-facilitated coercive control and support the rebuilding of personal autonomy, trust and independence.
The technology has changed. Our responses must evolve.
Effective prevention and response require collaboration between people who understand domestic abuse, people who understand technology, and institutions responsible for safety and support.
Employers & Public Institutions
Workplaces, healthcare organisations, local authorities, housing providers and educational institutions need technology-aware responses to domestic abuse.
This includes understanding how digital surveillance can affect an employee's safety, how communication practices may introduce risk and when specialist support is required.
Survivors & Specialist Services
People affected by coercive control need more than awareness of technological threats.
They need access to trustworthy information, appropriate safeguarding, informed digital safety support and opportunities to rebuild autonomy.
Educational programmes must be trauma-informed and developed alongside specialist practitioners and people with lived experience.
We cannot protect people from risks we do not understand.
AI Policies UK welcomes conversations with specialist domestic abuse organisations, researchers, safeguarding leaders, employers, public bodies and policymakers.
The ambition is to strengthen understanding, improve institutional responses and explore responsible approaches to survivor education and recovery.
For research collaboration, workplace guidance, speaking and partnership enquiries, please contact AI Policies UK through the main website.
If this affects you or someone you know.
This page provides education and awareness. It is not a substitute for specialist domestic abuse support, an individual safety assessment or legal advice.
If you are in immediate danger in the UK, call 999. If you cannot speak on a mobile call, follow the operator's instructions and press 55 when prompted.
If you suspect your device or accounts are being monitored, seek specialist digital safety advice before removing software, changing settings or disconnecting accounts. These actions can sometimes increase risk.
Freephone 0808 2000 247
England · 24 hours
Run by Refuge
Specialist guidance on technology-facilitated abuse, device safety and digital privacy.
Information about recognising and reporting digital domestic abuse and seeking support.