STEALTH MODE™
A Digital Safeguarding Standard for Discreet and Survivor-Centred Technology
By Samantha Avril-Andreassen, LLB (Hons), LLM, LPC, FRSA
Founder, SAFECHAIN™
Executive Summary
For many people, privacy online is a matter of convenience.
For survivors of domestic abuse, coercive control and technology-facilitated abuse, privacy can be a matter of personal safety.
An abusive partner may monitor notifications, inspect installed applications, review browser history, question online activity or demand access to a device. Even receiving a single notification from a support service can increase the risk of further abuse.
SAFECHAIN™ introduces Stealth Mode™, a digital safeguarding standard designed to help organisations create online services that minimise digital visibility and reduce the likelihood that vulnerable users will be identified while seeking support.
Stealth Mode™ is not about secrecy.
It is about safety.
Why Stealth Mode™ Matters
Technology has become an essential gateway to support.
People access:
domestic abuse services;
legal advice;
counselling;
financial support;
housing assistance;
healthcare;
safeguarding resources.
However, technology can also become an instrument of coercive control.
Abusive individuals may monitor devices, inspect communications, review browsing behaviour or demand explanations for online activity.
In these situations, digital design can either reduce risk—or unintentionally increase it.
SAFECHAIN™ Definition
SAFECHAIN™ defines Stealth Mode™ as:
A digital safeguarding standard that minimises the visibility of a user's interaction with an online service by reducing identifiable content, limiting unnecessary digital traces and supporting safer access to support services.
Stealth Mode™ is built upon safeguarding principles rather than technical convenience alone.
The Purpose of Stealth Mode™
Stealth Mode™ aims to:
reduce the risk of discovery;
encourage safer access to support;
minimise digital exposure;
protect user privacy;
support autonomy;
strengthen digital safeguarding across vulnerable populations.
The objective is to make support safer to access—not harder to find.
Principles of Stealth Mode™
SAFECHAIN™ proposes six core principles.
1. Discreet Presentation
Applications, websites and digital services should avoid unnecessarily revealing their purpose through highly visible names, icons or notifications where a user has chosen a discreet mode.
Users should be given appropriate control over how the service appears on their device.
2. Notification Privacy
Notifications should be carefully designed to avoid revealing sensitive information.
Organisations should consider:
neutral notification titles;
generic preview text;
optional notification suppression;
user-controlled notification settings.
No notification should unintentionally disclose that someone is seeking safeguarding support.
3. Reduced Digital Footprint
Where appropriate and lawful, organisations should minimise unnecessary digital traces by:
avoiding unnecessary data storage;
limiting cached information;
reducing persistent identifiers;
supporting privacy-focused browsing guidance.
The principle is to collect only what is genuinely required.
4. User Control
Stealth Mode™ should always remain under the user's control.
Users should be able to:
enable or disable discreet features;
manage privacy settings;
control notifications;
understand what information is stored.
Transparency builds trust.
5. Safe Design by Default
Digital safeguarding should be considered during product design—not added afterwards.
Privacy, discretion and safeguarding should be embedded throughout the development lifecycle.
Stealth Mode™ should become part of organisational governance rather than an optional enhancement.
6. Continuous Governance
Digital threats evolve.
Organisations should regularly review:
application updates;
operating system changes;
notification behaviour;
accessibility;
privacy risks;
safeguarding implications.
Stealth Mode™ should evolve alongside technology.
What Stealth Mode™ Cannot Do
Stealth Mode™ improves digital safety.
It cannot guarantee anonymity.
It cannot prevent:
spyware;
device monitoring software;
compromised accounts;
network surveillance;
physical inspection of devices;
coercive demands for passwords.
Organisations should communicate these limitations clearly and direct users to wider digital safety guidance where appropriate.
Organisational Responsibilities
Every organisation supporting vulnerable people should ask:
Can users access our services discreetly?
Could our notifications increase someone's risk?
Have we considered coercive control during product design?
Are privacy settings understandable?
Have survivors contributed to our design process?
Is digital safeguarding included within organisational governance?
If these questions have not been considered, opportunities for improvement remain.
Beyond Domestic Abuse
Stealth Mode™ has value across many sectors, including:
domestic abuse services;
mental health support;
healthcare providers;
legal services;
housing organisations;
financial services;
victim support;
child protection;
human trafficking services;
LGBTQ+ support services.
Any organisation supporting vulnerable people can benefit from discreet digital design.
The SAFECHAIN™ Perspective
SAFECHAIN™ believes that digital safeguarding extends beyond cybersecurity.
It is about recognising how technology influences personal safety, autonomy and wellbeing.
Stealth Mode™ reflects a simple principle:
Technology should never unintentionally expose the people it is designed to protect.
Embedding discreet design into digital services demonstrates respect for the lived experiences of survivors and strengthens trust in the organisations that support them.
Looking Ahead
As digital services become the primary route to advice, support and safeguarding, organisations must consider not only what information they provide but how safely that information can be accessed.
Stealth Mode™ represents an important step towards safer digital environments where privacy, dignity and protection are built into technology from the outset.
Digital safeguarding should not be an afterthought.
It should be a design standard.
Stealth Mode™ is a proprietary digital safeguarding standard developed by Samantha Avril-Andreassen as part of the SAFECHAIN™ Digital Safeguarding Framework. It is intended to support organisational governance, digital product design and safeguarding practice. It does not constitute legal, cybersecurity or technical advice.
SAFECHAIN™
Designing technology that protects privacy, dignity and safety by default.
Copyright
© 2026 Samantha Avril-Andreassen. All Rights Reserved.
Published by SAFECHAIN™
This publication is protected by international copyright law. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, stored, translated or adapted without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except for brief quotations used for academic, educational, journalistic or review purposes with appropriate attribution.
SAFECHAIN™, Stealth Mode™, Quick Exit™, Journal Lock™, SAFECHAIN™ Digital Safeguarding Framework, Institutional Fragmentation™, Jurisdictional Integrity™, The Cumulative Harm Model™, and all associated frameworks, methodologies, standards and intellectual property are proprietary works of Samantha Avril-Andreassen.