About Us |
Vision & Mission |
We believe everyone should be free to use technology without fear of harm from abusive partners or others. Survivors of abuse should have access to the resources, knowledge, and other support they need to keep themselves safe online and on their devices. Their voices should be at the center of technology design.
We work directly with survivors to determine if someone is using technology to harm them -- and what they can do to stay safe. We also facilitate cutting-edge research to understand how abusers can misuse technology.
Building on this firsthand knowledge, we advocate for laws and policies that include better protections from technology abuse, and publish resources for others who would like to help survivors.
Overview |
Intimate partner violence (IPV), also known as domestic violence, and stalking are widespread social ills. In the US, estimates suggest that at least one in three women and approximately the same number of men have reported experiencing physical forms of IPV, sexual violence, or stalking during their lifetimes. These numbers are based on what people are willing to disclose, and the true figures are likely higher. They also do not capture all forms of IPV or other abuse.
And the status quo today is that technology empowers abusers, not survivors.
Increasingly, perpetrators of abuse use digital technologies to harm their victims. Some of their most powerful tools include the same e-mail, cloud, and social media platforms millions of people use every day. By breaking into accounts, abusers can gain a powerful and dangerous trove of information about where their victims are and what they are doing. They can also install "spyware" on phones and computers to watch what victims do, learn their passwords, and more. Read research on tech-enabled abuse >
The Team |
We are a group of trained volunteers, clinic staff, and researchers. We are part of Cornell Tech, a campus of Cornell University located in New York City. Our clinic volunteers are graduate students and professionals who have expertise in fields such as computer security, human-computer interaction, and computing for underserved communities. They receive special training on detecting technology-related abuse and working with people who have survived trauma.
We provide our clinic services through a collaboration with the New York City Mayor's Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) and The Anti-Violence Project (AVP).
Key Leadership
Contact information for individual leadership members can be found on their respective pages.
Co-Founder
Thomas Ristenpart
Co-Founder
Rosanna Bellini
Director of Research
Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy
Lana Ramjit
Director of Operations
Get Involved |
Thank you for your interest in getting involved in CETA. We are not currently accepting applications for new volunteers. However, you may submit a volunteer application to our waitlist, and we will reach out to you the next time we begin recruiting. We also urgently need financial support to sustain our efforts. Please see our support page for how you can help.