myGov portal can be used by abusive partners to track down victims, Government warns

Megan Hendry for ABC News reports:
Parents fleeing domestic violence are being urged to deactivate their children’s myGov accounts, amid concerns abusive partners can use the portal to discover where spouses and children are living.
An email circulated by staff at the Queensland Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women has warned that a group of doctors had raised concerns about abusive partners being able to access the updated address details of their child through the Federal Government’s myGov portal.
“Perpetrators will seek to find and locate their partner or ex-partner because the nature of domestic violence is this intense desire to control or exert power over the other partner,” Professor Taylor said.
“Perpetrators try all sorts of means in order to try and locate [abused partners] so any system, including myGov, which may allow this to happen needs to be a concern to authorities in terms of risk and safety.”
She said the portal posed a significant risk to victims.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-18/mygov-portal-can-allow-abusive-partners-to-track-down-victims/10386708

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