Emergency Alerts Could Compromise 'Safe Phones' for Women at Risk of Domestic Violence

Women in remote and regional Australia facing domestic violence are at increased risk due to the upcoming nationwide emergency alert system, AusAlert. Advocates warn that the system's critical alert function, designed to override privacy settings during disasters, could compromise the safety of victims who rely on hidden "safe phones."

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This is going to impact our regional victim-survivors probably more than it will our women who are based in metro because of the increased exposure to bushfires, cyclones, floods and other natural disasters.

These secondary phones are crucial for individuals experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) to access help discreetly. Concerns are particularly high for women in regional areas, who already face higher rates of domestic violence and greater exposure to natural disasters like bushfires and cyclones. "This is going to impact our regional victim-survivors probably more than it will our women who are based in metro because of the increased exposure to bushfires, cyclones, floods and other natural disasters," said Deb Murray, senior manager of women and family safety services at Communicare.

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I'd love to know at what point the alerts will go out, at what point of a fire, what point of a cyclone, what point of a flood.

Murray hopes for clearer government guidance on when critical alerts will be triggered. "I'd love to know at what point the alerts will go out, at what point of a fire, what point of a cyclone, what point of a flood," she stated, emphasizing the need for this information to develop effective mitigation strategies.

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We are contacting clients who have received a safe phone, as I'm sure other FDV services are doing, to let them know they can put their phone on aeroplane mode and just to make them aware it's going to happen.

Services are already contacting clients to advise them on how to protect their safe phones, such as putting them on airplane mode during the upcoming test alert on July 27. Ali White, chief executive of Harbour Domestic Violence service, expressed concern that the alert's sound and vibration could lead to the discovery of these hidden devices. "We are contacting clients who have received a safe phone... to let them know they can put their phone on aeroplane mode and just to make them aware it's going to happen," White said. Perpetrators of violence often use coercive control to monitor victims' communications, making these safe phones vital for maintaining contact with support networks.

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You can't opt out of that alert and