Security experts at Avast have discovered seven spyware apps (also known as stalkerware) targeting regular users in the Google Play catalog. Although such products are regularly removed due to Google Play’s strict policies against their distribution, many still manage to rack up thousands of downloads before being taken down. In this case, the spyware tools identified by researchers had been downloaded more than 130,000 times in total.
What Is Stalkerware?
Stalkerware typically refers to apps that someone can install on a spouse’s or partner’s device, an employer can put on employees’ mobile gadgets, or parents can use on their children’s devices. These products allow users to secretly track someone else’s location, browsing history, messenger messages, call logs, and much more. Worse yet, as previously reported, such products are often openly marketed to perpetrators of domestic abuse.
Which Apps Were Removed?
The apps found by Avast specialists were uploaded to Google Play by a Russian developer and appeared under the following names:
- Track Employees Check Work Phone Online Spy Free
- Spy Kids Tracker
- Phone Cell Tracker
- Mobile Tracking
- Spy Tracker
- SMS Tracker
- Employee Work Spy
By the end of last week, Google engineers had already removed these spyware apps. However, researchers have since reported finding another spyware app that they believe is even more problematic.
New Threats Still Available
The app Family Employee Monitor is marketed as a tool for parents and employers and has already been downloaded over 10,000 times. It can monitor user activity on social networks, including Facebook, Messenger, Kik, Skype, Hangouts, and other chat platforms.
Additionally, another shady practice was discovered with the spyware app Netiquette. To register and use the app for free, users are required to leave a 4- or 5-star review, which must include specific words related to cyberbullying and child protection.
Currently, Avast specialists have contacted Google, but these apps are still available for download at the time of reporting.
Expert Opinion
“Apps like Family Employee Monitor are extremely aggressive toward the end user-victim and should not appear in mobile app stores. They are advertised as tools for parents and employers, but there is a very fine line in their use: apps with such capabilities can fall into the hands of the wrong people,” said Nikolaos Chrysaidos, Head of Mobile Threat Intelligence and Security at Avast. “We are working with Google to remove such apps not only because their features clearly violate Android’s anti-spyware policies, but also for safety and ethical reasons.”