Digital Safety & Device Privacy Guide
Understanding browser traces, device monitoring, shared family accounts, and safe searching techniques when escaping coercive control or stalking.
Call 911 or contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788 from a safe phone.
If someone has physical or administrative access to your phone or laptop, they may have installed monitoring software (stalkerware) or keyloggers. Whenever possible, use a device at a public library, school, community center, or trusted friend's home.
Home Wi-Fi routers record DNS logs of visited domains. If you are connected to a shared home network, anyone with router admin access can see which websites were visited. Use cellular data or public Wi-Fi when researching sensitive resources.
Apple Family Sharing and Google Family Link can automatically sync browser history, location data, photo backups, and installed applications across devices. If your accounts are linked, open a private browsing window on a non-synced account.
Clearing your browser history completely can trigger suspicion if an abuser routinely inspects your phone. A safer technique is deleting only specific search items or using a private/incognito session.
At any time while browsing Maps With Teeth, press the ESC key twice or click the red QUICK EXIT button in the top navigation bar. This immediately replaces the browser session with a neutral weather forecast.