ASB uses technology to support Womens Refuge

While technology can be a powerful tool for victims of domestic violence to ask for help, get information and stay in touch with support networks; in our increasingly digitally connected society, technology has also extended the reach of abusers. Women’s Refuge is increasingly seeing abusers use a phone’s GPS location to track their victims, obtain their victim’s email or banking passwords, even checking their web browser history to monitor them. This means that it is now harder than ever for those looking for help and information to reach out and find it safely.

We’ve teamed up with the Women’s Refuge, Saatchi & Saatchi, The Warehouse and a group of other New Zealand organisations to help victims of domestic violence get the assistance they need – without being detected online. When visiting the ASB website to do internet banking, domestic violence victims can now discretely click on the Shielded Site icon at the bottom of our website to open a small popup window. This has information from Women’s Refuge on how to get assistance, make a plan or to ask for help. Accessing the popup window will not be recorded in your internet browser history which is important when abusers may be monitoring online movements.