Security News > 2021 > September > SpyFone & CEO Banned From Stalkerware Biz

In a Wednesday announcement, the FTC slammed SpyFone, calling it a stalkerware app that not only sold real-time access to "Stalkers and domestic abusers to stealthily track the potential targets of their violence." It added SpyFone also one failed to provide even basic security, exposing device owners "To hackers, identity thieves, and other cyber threats."

The FTC described SpyFone as "a stalkerware app that allowed purchasers to surreptitiously monitor photos, text messages, web histories, GPS locations, and other personal information of the phone on which the app was installed without the device owner's knowledge."

In its complaint, the FTC explained that in order to enable certain SpyFone functions, such as monitoring of email on targets' Android devices, buyers of the SpyFone app had to root the phones, which could void warranties and expose the devices to security risks.

The premium version of SpyFone for Android, which costs $199.95 for a year subscription, added the ability to capture victims' emails; video chats; and activity on or through apps, including posts made on social media, contents of messages sent and received, pictures shared on photo apps, and information exchanged on online dating apps.

Hank Schless, senior manager of security solutions at endpoint-to-cloud security company Lookout, observed to Threatpost that stalkerware like SpyFone demonstrates why we all need a security solution on our mobile devices, particularly given how much we trust them.

According to Kaspersky's "The State of Stalkerware 2020" report, there were 53,870 mobile users within its telemetry who were affected by stalkerware during the year.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/spyfone-ban-stalkerware-surveillance/169165/