Security News > 2022 > December > Let's spend $22m supporting survivors of tech-enabled abuse, lawmakers suggest

A bipartisan trio of US lawmakers has proposed a law that pledges as much as $22 million of public funding to help victims of tech-enabled domestic abuse.

If somehow approved all the way through Congress, the proposed law would earmark $2 million in grants for clinics and other partnerships that provide support to sexual and domestic violence victims who are experiencing technology-powered abuse.

Grant recipients could use the funding to buy replacement devices for survivors, or "Any other use" that helps reduce technology-enabled abuse or assist victims, according to the proposal.

"These scary practices have become all too common, and yet, there are not enough resources to help protect survivors from the misuse of technology by their abusers," he added.

"Education and training, as well as support for more clinics with expertise in domestic abuse and technology, are desperately needed to get survivors the care they need."

The bill cites a 2021 study by the National Network to End Domestic Violence, which found 97 percent of the programs providing support to victims of intimate partner violence have indicated that abusers also use technology to stalk, harass or control their victims.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/12/16/tech_safety_domestic_violence_wyden/