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At the bottom of this page there's a button that says ‘QUICK EXIT’. Click this button if you need to leave the website quickly. It will take you to a neutral web page.
The QUICK EXIT button is at the bottom of each page of the Domestic and Family Violence section of this website.
This doesn’t remove evidence that you’ve visited this website. To clear your browser and internet history, go down to how to clear your internet history.
Domestic and family violence can include a partner or ex partner checking the websites you visit or using technology in other ways to control or harass you. Any behaviour online that makes you feel scared or unsafe is wrong. It could include:
Trust your instincts. If you think an abusive person could be harassing, stalking, or monitoring you by using technology, clear your internet history and follow the other tips on this page for staying safe online and on your devices.
Daisy is a free app created specifically to help people who are in a domestic and family violence situation. These apps have been built with many safety features that allow you to use it discreetly without the risk of "tipping off" the abuser. These apps are available for Apple and Android phones.
The Daisy app:
More information and how to download the Daisy app.
As you search the internet a record of your activity is recorded on the device you're using. Information from the sites you visit are saved to the ‘cache’ on your device. If you are in an abusive relationship, you may want to delete this data.
While it's difficult to completely delete your internet history, you can make it harder for someone to find it. Please read the instructions on how to clear your internet history on computers and mobile devices.
You can also visit eSafety Women to view videos and read information on safer internet browsing. eSafety Women is part of the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Private browsing allows you to surf the net without leaving a trail of history, passwords, cookies and other bits of info. To do this, you will need to set your browser — such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer — to "private" or "incognito" mode. Each browser is different, so to find out what to do for the browser you're using, type "private browsing" into the search bar of Google or Bing.
Messages sent through email, social networking sites — such as Facebook — and instant messaging services can be tracked and recorded. It may be safer to call from a landline or friend’s telephone rather than emailing. If you do communicate online, always make sure you log out of websites and clear your internet history.
Do not create or use an alternative account on any computer that your abuser may have access to. Create an anonymous user name and account you can use on a safer computer.
When creating a username, avoid using personal details about yourself such as your name. Instead create an unidentifying username such as bluecat@email.com or happypanda@email.com.
If you are going to change or replace an account you may consider keeping your old accounts going for day-to-day communication. Suddenly changing the way you communicate may make your abuser suspicious.
Change your passwords, especially for your email and other online accounts, such as online banking. Choose new passwords that would be difficult for your abuser to guess. Avoid personal details such as birthdays, nicknames, pets' names or family information. Don’t share your passwords with anyone. Consider using a password manager service.
Only add friends or contacts on social media you trust — and who won't share information about you with the abuser. Activate the privacy settings on all social media accounts.
The eSafety Women's take the tour suggests ways to keep your personal devices, and the ones in your home and car, 'safe'. It covers a wide range of devices — from keeping your computer and baby monitors safe to clearing your journey history from the GPS navigation system in your car, and limiting what you share about yourself via wearable devices, such as fitness devices.
The eSafety Women site also has more ways you can take control of your personal information, such as how to:
If you're worried someone is tracking your activity online, use the internet from another computer, such as a friend's computer or a computer at a public library or internet cafe. You will be surfing the web from someone else's browser so your browser history will be on their computer and not yours.
The Office of the eSafety Commissioner says it can be hard to know if someone is using spyware to monitor you but some tell tale signs include:
If you think spyware is being used, get a new device if possible or install anti-virus protection to help block spyware. Take the same safety steps for your child or children's devices especially if it's a gift from the abuser.
Your movements and location at any given time can be tracked via your device such as a mobile phone. If you suspect your abuser is tracking your location, eSafety Women advise:
eSafety Women also recommends checking all accounts that may give away your location such as:
You can contact the credit or account providers and agencies to have your car and cards removed from linked accounts.
Most mobile phones will regularly send GPS location information to different applications. It's important to turn off the location settings and services on your devices — here's how to do it.
Other tips:
If you have left a domestic or family violence situation and you don't want the abuser to know where you or your children are, here are some tips on keeping your personal details private.
Most things we do online ask for personal information. Limit the information that you provide since you don’t know how this information will be shared or stored online.
If you’re concerned about someone knowing where you live, you can rent a Post Office Box (PO Box) or consider using another safe address that is not your home address. You can use this when you need to give out an address online.
If you have obtained an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) and or moved elsewhere to stay safe, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner suggests contacting:
and request that in writing that your private details not be accessible to the abuser, particularly if the abuser is your child’s father, as he may access information about the child. Read the full eSafety Women checklist.
Your address could be publicly available to anyone looking up the electoral role, even if you haven't provided that information. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is able to put you on the electoral roll or update your details based on information from other government agencies.
You can apply to become a 'silent elector' so only your name and division will appear on the roll. Go to the AEC website and fill out an application form for your state. Any protection orders or police reports will aid your application.
When taking steps to stay safe online consider eSafety for your children too. This includes checking to ensure location settings are turned off on their devices, limiting "friends" and connections on social media, and including the kids in eSafety planning.
Read more about how to keep children safe online, including:
Your internet history is a log of sites that you visit, recorded by your web browser. When you click on the back button, you are moving back one entry in the history log.
Browsers will normally clear your history at regular intervals, but if you are viewing any sensitive information, such as about domestic and family violence, you should clear it manually for your privacy and protection.
Each time you access the internet your web browser stores or caches the information. This is done so the system can avoid having to retrieve files or info such as images or videos on a page from remote servers across the world when you’re browsing the web.
Regularly clearing the cache on your computer allows your browser to function more efficiently but it also offers you extra protection online.
To find out more information on how to clear your cache, check the support website for your browser — for example, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome — or follow the instructions below.
A cookie is a file created by your web browser designed to hold small amounts of information about your online preferences. These files are stored on your computer. Typically a cookie stores user-specific information such as your selections in a form, shopping cart contents or authentication data.
Browsers will normally clear cookies that reach a certain age. Clearing out your cookies is also another useful way to stop your abuser from seeing what you do online.
For instructions on how to clear cookies, check the support website for your browser — Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome. You can just type "how to clear cookies" into a search engine like Google or Bing.
The most updated information about Microsoft products such as the Internet Explorer browser can be found on their support website but we also have tips below on what the advice was at the time of writing.
The most updated information about Mozilla products such as the Firefox browser can be found on their support browser.
The most updated information about Apple products such as the Safari browser can be found on their support browser.
The most updated information about Google products such as the Chrome browser can be found on their support browser.
The most updated information about Apple products such as the Safari browser can be found on their support browser.
The most updated information about Google products such as the Chrome browser can be found on their support browser.
The steps for clearing your cache, cookies, and history will likely differ depending on the make and model of your Android device. If you are unsure about the make and model of your phone consider asking your service provider in store for help identifying it.
However, you should be able to clear the cache and data from your settings menu on most Android phones.
The general process for this is the following:
We have adapted information for this page from different reliable sources. The NSW Government would like to acknowledge and thank:
02 Oct 2022