Overcoming Digital Coercion: A Journey from Invasion to Resolution

Feeling secure in your own digital space is a fundamental right, and the experience of being stalked or hacked can be truly harrowing. Recently, I’ve found myself grappling with a situation that has profoundly impacted my sense of safety and privacy. After noticing unusual behavior on my devices, I embarked on a journey of troubleshooting that led me down a worrying path.

The Uninvited Intrusion

Late last year, I began to detect odd occurrences on my computer. My mouse cursor seemed to have a mind of its own, moving independently while I watched in disbelief. Browser tabs opened and closed without my input, and I even noticed songs playing on iTunes as if a ghost was commandeering my playlists. It was disturbing enough to raise red flags, and my concern only intensified with the strange events occurring on my Android phone. Icons would spontaneously shift around, and pages on Reddit would scroll themselves as if driven by an unseen force.

An especially alarming moment came one evening as I walked home. Upon entering my front door, a video of a boxer training unexpectedly began playing on my phone — a video I hadn’t actually accessed myself. I had just used my phone to calculate my grocery total thirty minutes earlier, and yet, there it was, an unwanted video intruding on my private space. To add to the strangeness, while conversing with my cousin one day, I heard sounds of numbers being dialed and an unknown male voice mumbling—definitely not originating from either of us—leaving me with the unsettling feeling we were being surveilled.

Taking Action

In an attempt to reclaim control, I decided to eliminate the hazards. I disposed of my computer after an unsettling episode with Firefox, which suspiciously flashed “4chan” at the bottom left of the screen only briefly. My “D” drive suddenly showed 6.3GB of unknown data, sparking fears that someone could have used my devices to download illicit content without my knowledge. Faced with the possibility of being wrongfully accused, I felt compelled to sever ties with my technology. I disconnected from the internet and switched to a basic Alcatel phone, hoping it would minimize my vulnerability.

However, the issues persisted. Despite my new phone not having internet access or an App store, I encountered a repeatedly appearing “Notification: Unknown Application” alert. Additionally, a clicking sound echoed each time I locked or unlocked the device,