Digital Safety During Divorce in Malaysia

Why digital safety matters

Your phone, email and social accounts hold a map of your whole life. A controlling spouse can use them to track where you go, read your plans or reach your money.

You do not need proof of hacking to act. Simple steps now protect your privacy and keep you safer as the divorce goes on.

Secure your phone and accounts first

• Change the passwords on your email, banking and social media accounts.
• Use a strong, different password for each, and turn on two-factor authentication (a code sent to your phone at each login) where offered.
• Check which devices are logged in to each account and remove any you do not recognise.

Start with your main email, because it can reset the password to everything else.

Check shared logins too. Family phone plans, shared Apple or Google accounts and saved passwords on a shared computer can all expose what you do.

Watch for tracking

Location sharing is easy to forget. Check Find My iPhone, Google location sharing and any family tracking apps, and turn off sharing you did not agree to.

Look for apps you did not install, a battery that drains fast, or a phone that feels watched. If you suspect tracking software, a full reset or a new phone may be safest.

Cars and smart home devices can also record your location and be seen by whoever set up the account.

Protect your messages and money

Open a new email address your spouse has never had access to, and use it for everything about the divorce. Keep your lawyer’s messages there.

Review online banking and remove your spouse’s access where that is possible and appropriate. Watch for unusual transfers and keep records of anything that looks wrong.

Keep evidence the right way

If your spouse has sent threats or abusive messages, do not delete them. Take clear screenshots showing the date, time and sender.

Store copies where your spouse cannot reach them, such as a private cloud account or a trusted person’s device. Your lawyer can advise on what is useful.

When monitoring becomes abuse

Constant watching, threats and controlling behaviour can amount to domestic violence, even through a screen. The Domestic Violence Act 1994 protects you whether or not you have filed for divorce.

You can make a police report and apply for a protection order to stop the harassment. If you feel unsafe, contact the police, or call the Talian Kasih helpline at 15999 for support.

Looking to engage a divorce lawyer? If you are worried your spouse is monitoring you and are unsure what to do next, request independent lawyer contact via WhatsApp: Request Lawyer Contact. For general information, use our guides and tools.