FTC warns users to be wary of “stalking apps” and “stalkerware”

Recently, the US Federal Trade Commission issued a warning that consumers should always be alert to “stalking apps” and “stalkerware”. Stalkerware like MobileSpy, PhoneSheriff, and TeenShield were tracking physical and online movements without people’s knowledge, the FTC says. Such malicious applications secretly “track” smartphone users and steal historical call records, text messages, photos, GPS locations, and historical browsing history. ​

It is understood that the application company Retina-X Studios has developed spy applications such as MobileSpy, PhoneSheriff, and TeenShield. Although the company said that these applications are for learning and security testing only, the company has no way to ensure that buyers use it for legitimate purposes. “To install the apps, purchasers often had to weaken the security protections on your smartphone (sometimes called jailbreaking or rooting),” Weintraub Schifferle wrote. “Once a purchaser installed the app on your phone, they could remove the icon, so you wouldn’t know they were monitoring you.”

The FTC recommends that consumers should avoid jailbreaking their phones, as such behavior will greatly reduce the security of the phone. If you suspect that spyware has been downloaded from your phone, consumers can remove it by restoring the factory settings.