APAV launched an awareness campaign that quickly captured public attention and generated controversy on social media. The so-called “RelationChip”, presented as an innovative technological device capable of allowing permanent access to the partner’s location, passwords and contacts, never existed. It was, in fact, an action created by the Portuguese Victim Support Association to raise awareness of controlling behaviors in dating that continue to be socially normalized, especially among younger people.
The initiative came in the form of a promotional page that advertised the alleged subcutaneous implant, described as a “total transparency” solution between couples. Within a few days, the topic went viral and sparked an intense public debate, with many users expressing outrage at the idea of permanent surveillance in a romantic relationship and questioning the legality and ethics of such intrusive control.
This Thursday, February 12, APAV officially confirmed that the product was fictitious. The campaign was purposely launched in the week before Valentine’s Day, with the aim of drawing attention to control practices that, although common, constitute forms of emotional and psychological violence.
According to the association, behaviors such as monitoring a partner’s location, demanding access to passwords, controlling friendships or monitoring contacts are often seen as signs of care or concern, when in reality they represent mechanisms of control and domination. In the message released, APAV is clear: “Seeing location, asking for passwords or controlling friendships is not love. It is violence. Change the Chip.”
João Lázaro, president of APAV, emphasizes that what seems absurd when presented in the form of a technological chip is, after all, an everyday reality in many relationships: surveillance and control practices that are normalized and rarely recognized as violence.
The association’s data reinforces the seriousness of the problem. In the last four years, 3,968 victims of violence in the context of dating or after the end of a relationship were monitored, with around 30% of cases involving young people up to the age of 25. Among the types of violence identified are excessive control, psychological violence, stalking and sexual violence.
APAV recalls that the Victim Support Line remains available on 116 006, on weekdays, between 8am and 11pm, providing support, information and referrals to all people who find themselves in a situation of violence.
