Tech
A new guide to tackle tech abuse of older people
A new guide has been launched to help tackle the growing threat of domestic abusers using technology, like smart doorbells and mobiles, against older people.
Developed by Aberystwyth University researchers, Dyfed-Powys Police, and Parental Education Growth Support (PEGS), the resource for staff on the frontline highlights the growing threat of the use of new technology to abuse over 60-year-olds.
Evidence shows that perpetrators are increasingly using digital technology to threaten, stalk, or harass—1 in 3 women have experienced abuse on social media or other online platforms at some point in their lives.
Meanwhile, evidence gathered by PEGS shows that 14% of the older parents they supported had experienced digital abuse from children or grandchildren.
The new guide includes advice on practical ways to prevent technology abuse, such as how to prevent stalking via mobile phone tracking, secure access to bank accounts and lock smart devices.
The new toolkit draws on police data, victim insights, and real-life case studies to show how perpetrators misuse everyday technologies to monitor, control, exploit and intimidate older victims.
One case involves 67-year-old Keith, a terminally ill man, whose adult son spent over £20,000 of Keith’s money without permission using his smartphones and online shopping accounts.
Another case highlights Katherine, who was stalked, harassed and coercively controlled by her partner using a fake Facebook profile, a mobile tracking app and a Ring doorbell camera, alongside hundreds of abusive calls and messages.
Based at Aberystwyth University’s Center for Age, Gender and Social Justice, the Dewis Choice initiative supports older victims of domestic abuse. It combines direct service delivery with ground-breaking research and is the first long-term study exploring decision-making in later life.
Rebecca Zerk, Co-lead of the Dewis Choice project at Aberystwyth University said, “As more services shift online, increasing numbers of older people rely on family members or caregivers to manage digital tasks on their behalf. Without direct control over their online accounts, older adults can be at heightened risk of exploitation by the people closest to them. This dependency can leave older people at increased risk of financial abuse, fraud, identity theft, and coercion.
“Additionally, limited exposure to technology, lower confidence in navigating digital tools, and unfamiliarity with online risks can expose older adults to risks such as scams, fraud, and technology-facilitated abuse.
“Frontline staff and practitioners and the criminal justice system are increasingly aware of the role of technology in facilitating domestic abuse. However, the nature and impact of technology-facilitated abuse on older victims remains underexplored. This guide aims to address this gap and brings together knowledge, insights, and data from our partners. We really hope this guide can help protect older people from this risk of harm.”
Recent Dyfed-Powys Police data shows that between May 2024 and April 2025, over 950 domestic abuse-related crimes involved older victims. More than 10% of these cases were linked to technology such as mobile phones, social media and online banking.
Dyfed-Powys Police serves Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys and is the largest geographical policing area in England and Wales. Covering more than 515,000 people, almost half of the total resident population is aged 45 and over, and 22% are aged over 65.
Allan Rush from Dyfed Powys Police added, “Technology-enabled abuse poses a growing threat to older people who may be less familiar with digital tools, making them vulnerable to manipulation. From online scams and phishing attacks to remote surveillance and financial exploitation, perpetrators can use smartphones, social media, and smart home devices to control, deceive, or isolate older individuals. The digital divide often leaves older people without the skills or support to recognize or report abuse.
“One challenge for police and frontline professionals is keeping up to date with this rapidly evolving technology and how its misuse could lead to the abuse of those in need of safeguarding.
“This guide will be a valuable resource for practitioners who may not be tech specialists by equipping them with the knowledge and tools to identify, respond to, and prevent digital forms of abuse.”
Michelle John, Director of PEGS added, “At PEGS, we see first-hand how technology can be used to extend patterns of abuse, including cases where parents and grandparents are exploited by those closest to them. The rise in technology-facilitated abuse against older people is a growing concern, and this guide provides frontline professionals with the tools and knowledge to respond effectively. By sharing evidence and practical strategies, we can ensure practitioners are better equipped to recognize digital abuse and protect victims from further harm.”
More information:
Guide: Supporting Older Victims of Technology-Facilitated Domestic Abuse
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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang didn’t need any prompting on Wednesday to address the elephant in the room. “There’s been a lot of talk about an AI bubble,” he said on an earnings call before quickly getting to his main point: “From our vantage point, we see something very different.”
Huang went on to spend about five minutes trying to explain how the chipmaker, which has soared to become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company over the past three years, would be able to sustain unprecedented customer demand. His thesis is that AI is taking over the world, and Nvidia chips will be sorely needed to power that technological revolution underway. “All industries, across every phase of AI, across all of the diverse computing needs in a cloud, and also from cloud to enterprise to robots,” will need Nvidia’s products, Huang said.
The CEO’s pep talk ultimately drew mixed reactions from Wall Street. Nvidia shares have fallen about 10 percent in recent weeks after hitting an all-time high in late October. Shares budged up about 5 percent in after hours trading on Wednesday after Nvidia reported record quarterly sales and Huang made his anti-bubble comments. But the increase was not enough to fully make up for the recent selloff.
Nvidia has enjoyed three years of booming success since OpenAI debuted ChatGPT and caused a massive surge in demand for the company’s GPUs, which are used to train and operate generative AI systems. Nvidia dominates the global market for GPUs, and its latest releases have become highly sought after with demand far exceeding supply. On Wednesday, Nvidia executives reiterated that it has about $500 billion in unfilled orders.
The company has used its newfound wealth to buy back its own shares and invest billions of dollars in AI companies, including top users and customers of its chips such as ChatGPT developer OpenAI, data center operator CoreWeave, and Elon Musk’s xAI, which develops the chatbot Grok.
Nvidia’s deals have fueled concerns among some investors that the company is unsustainably propping up sales. AI industry executives contend that partnering closely with Nvidia is crucial for getting access to chips and technical support, and that their revenues will eventually increase enough to fund their GPU purchases.
On Wednesday’s call, Huang addressed a financial analyst’s question about the rationale for investing in companies such as OpenAI. “The partnership that we have with them is one so that we could work even deeper from a technical perspective, so that we could support their accelerated growth,” Huang said. “I fully expect that investment to translate to extraordinary returns.”
After the temporary shutdown of the US government, NASA has finally started its nonessential work back up. It’s starting off with a bang: The agency called a press conference to show its hitherto reserved images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. NASA scientists also confirmed that 3I/ATLAS is in fact a comet, contrary to the speculations about alien technology flooding the internet.
During the broadcast, a panel of scientists showed the results of observations obtained by different NASA missions across various points in the journey 3I/ATLAS has taken. Each provided insights in the infrared, visible, ultraviolet, and gamma-ray spectrums, providing a better understanding of the true nature of 3I/ATLAS.
Among the most relevant data are images captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and MAVEN satellites, as well as those from the Psyche and Lucy space probes, and even from the SOHO solar probe. The scientists clarified that all the data will be publicly available for anyone to investigate.
3I/ATLAS Images Shared by NASA
SOHO: Image From the Sun-Monitoring Probe
This orange-toned photo comes from NASA. The SOHO probe that monitors the sun managed to capture 3I/ATLAS between October 15 and 26. In the words of the agency, this image was a surprise. They did not expect that the object could be seen from so far away, 358 million km.
MRO: One of the Best Close-Ups of 3I/ATLAS
One of the most anticipated photos of the comet is the one obtained by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite in October, when 3I/ATLAS approached at “only” 29 million km. NASA finally shared it. The image shows the frozen body surrounded by a cloud of characteristic dust ejected as the comet approached the sun.
STEREO: The Photo Confirming the Shape of 3I/ATLAS
The STEREO observatory analyzes the behavior of the sun. To get at least one coherent image of the comet, scientists had to stack several images taken at different exposures. In the end, the interstellar object was revealed as a bright orb against a noisy background.
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MAVEN: A Glimpse of Comet Hydrogen
MAVEN is a Mars orbiter. Its lens captured this ultraviolet spectrum image of 3I/ATLAS before it reached its closest approach to the red planet. It shows hydrogen emitted from different sources. The portion on the left belongs to the comet’s signature.
PUNCH: Another Solar Glimpse
PUNCH is a polarimeter that monitors the sun’s corona and its heliosphere. However, its lenses made it possible to visualize the comet’s tail for weeks from October to September. In this animation, each frame represents a daily snapshot, while the streaks in the background are produced by the movement of the stars.
On December 19, 2025, the comet will reach its closest point to Earth. It will pass at a completely safe distance: about 267 million km away. To put that in perspective, it’s equivalent to almost 700 times the distance between the Earth and the moon, and 1.8 times the separation between our planet and the sun. This flyby will have no effect on the Earth.
Both NASA and other space agencies are expected to initiate additional observing campaigns to capture better photographs and relevant information about the third confirmed interstellar object in history.
This story originally appeared in WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
If you’re looking to make the move to an OLED screen, but don’t feel like stomaching the high price tag usually associated with the tech, you might consider the LG B5 OLED. It’s already a great screen at the full price, but Best Buy currently has it marked down to just $600. That’s a significant markdown for this TV, which can typically be found between $1,000 and $1,200.
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Photograph: Ryan Waniata
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Photograph: Ryan Waniata
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Photograph: Ryan Waniata
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Photograph: Ryan Waniata
The star of the show is LG’s OLED panel, the type typically found on TVs twice the price. If you’re curious why that’s so important, we have a great explainer that breaks down the difference between all the different panel types. The important takeaway here is that the pixels emit their own light, allowing individual spots of the screen to be perfectly black. The result is impressive, with incredible contrast between the brightest and darkest spots that’s best understood by seeing it in person.
The other areas of the screen are excellent as well. Our reviewer Ryan Waniata opined that “there’s a sumptuous touch to images of all sorts,” and liked the colors as well, which were accurate and sharp without any adjustment. The screen has a natural and vivid performance to it that feels all the more impressive when you consider the price point.
It has the chops for some gaming too, with feature support that meets or beats higher-end screens. With four proper HDMI 2.1 inputs, your consoles won’t need to fight for the good ports, which is a nice surprise for the price point. It can reach a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which is just fine for most console gamers, and has both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync to make sure everything is smooth, plus Auto Low Latency Mode for quick response times.
Overall, the LG B5 OLED is a solid value at its full price, but the steep discount here makes this a really sweet upgrade or first OLED. If you’re still not sold, make sure to swing by our roundup of all the best TVs available, including the B5 and other OLEDs.
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