Security News > 2020 > July > Google Bans Stalkerware Ads – With a Loophole

Google will soon prohibit ads on its platform that promote stalkerware products and services - but the tech giant's ban comes with a catch that some security experts worry will render it ineffective.

Google said that its ban on stalkerware ads will not extend to private investigation services or services designed for parents to track or monitor their underage children - which some are condemning as a big loophole for surveillanceware companies.

"I'm reminded of visiting a particular stalkerware vendor's website in the past which incorporated a cheesie video of a man explaining how his wife had been knocked unconscious in a car crash, and that the stalkerware had helped him find where she was and alert the emergency services," said Cluley.

One of those stalkerware families, disclosed in March, is an aggressive stalkerware app called Monitor Minor.

This growing threat comes as more efforts to combat stalkerware emerge in the security industry, including the recently announced Coalition Against Stalkerware.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/google-bans-stalkerware-ads-with-a-loophole/157365/