Here’s something that is undoubtedly scary and that many people might mistakenly view as being outside the realm of reality and firmly ensconced in science fiction.
Imagine former romantic partners now living separately. And now imagine the camera-equipped doorbell operative in one of their homes, which essentially replaces a peephole. When it rings, logged-in users of the app can immediately see whatever is occurring at the front door, even if they are located far from the home.
Readers can see where this is going. What happened in a real case was that an ex-partner remained logged in to the so-called Ring app after splitting the home following a failed relationship. By doing so, he had constant updates on who his former mate was seeing and when that individual was entering and leaving the home. What alerted the house resident to that unsettling fact was a sudden call one day from the ex complaining that the dog needed to be walked more often.
There are lots of similar and concededly eerie stories like the above that are occurring with regularity across the United States and that have sobering implications for some individuals locked in family law disputes. We referenced in our May 21 blog entry the entrenched – and unquestionably growing – phenomenon of new gadgets and apps that make spying on third parties from afar easy for ex-spouses and lovers. Similarly with the Ring, much of that clandestine activity can be conducted from afar.
And it can be flatly sinister. A recent online spotlighting of devices that aid remote spying on former married partners and other individuals references a real-life case of a violent ex tracking a frightened former partner and daughter on the run. He was easily able to do so via a GPS app that he had secretly inserted into the child’s doll.
21st-century stalking and harassment is something that can obviously be highly concerning when it relates to vindictive behaviors linked with failed family relationships. Concerned individuals might reasonably want to timely confer with an experienced family law attorney, who can help them secure an order of protection (restraining order) or take other proactive action that promotes safety.
