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C
Cyberstalking
Using technology to track your activities or location, or to make you feel constantly watched and afraid. Many different kinds of technology can be used to stalk someone, including phones, social media, email, cameras, smart home devices, and more. Any kind of stalking is serious, and you can reach out for help or report to police.
Consent
An ongoing process of giving and receiving permission. Doxing: the publication of private or identifying information of a particular individual on the Internet without the individual’s consent
D
Doxing
Sharing someone’s personal information like a phone number or home address to threaten or harm them. Often part of online harassment or stalking. Sometimes also spelled “doxxing.”
Digital Evidence
The overarching term that includes evidence from digital devices including the devices themselves, as well as emails, texts, pictures, videos, voice recordings, direct messages (DMs), screenshots, account logs or billing statements, apps, GPS and location information, and “metadata” or the information embedded in emails and other electronic documents.
Digital Dating Violence
Digital dating violence is a pattern of behaviours in which one partner controls, pressures, or threatens their dating partner using digital technologies. Digital dating violence is also known as technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), but we use the term digital dating violence to reflect teen relationships. Read more about Digital Dating Violence here.
Database
Software that holds data and allows a company, charity, or the government to search for information about a specific person or find trends across many people.
Data
Data is another word for information. Big data is a term for really large amounts of data pulled from mobile phones, emails, Internet searches, apps, and public records. Companies use big data to identify patterns about us all to predict and optimize their business.
E
Encryption
A way of scrambling information so that it can only be read by the person who created it or those they choose to share it with. End-to-end encryption protects data between the sender and the receiver (e.g. between you and a person you send a message to).
Email is short for “electronic mail” and can include text, images, and attachments of other files. Read our tips on securing your email account.
F
Firewall
Either software or a piece of equipment that protects a computer network from external security risks. Firewalls monitor inbound and outbound network traffic and determine whether or not to allow the traffic through based on a set of security standards.
Find My Phone
A way to locate your phone by logging into your account from another device. In addition to seeing the location on a map, options may also include making loud sounds through the phone, remotely wiping all data, or otherwise taking control of the phone. Read our guides to learn more about turning off this feature on your phone, or in your social media accounts.
Factory Reset
Wiping all the information and settings from a phone or other device, returning it to the way it was when it was made. This is one way to remove harmful software and settings from your phone, in combination with other steps like changing account settings or creating new accounts.
G
Googling
Searching the Internet for information, specifically on Google. See also Internet Search Engine.
T
Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence
Tech-facilitated gender-based violence, or TFGBV, happens when someone uses technology to harm or control you. It can happen to anyone, but especially to women, children, and gender-diverse people. BIPOC, those with disabilities, and the 2SLGTBQIA+ community are disproportionately affected. It can look like harassing text or social media messages, restricting access to technology, non-consensually sharing intimate images, using location-tracking technology, or threatening to do any of these. TFGBV is sometimes called tech abuse, online harassment, or digital violence.