Inside the ‘Stalkerware’ Surveillance Market, Where Ordinary People Tap Each Other’s Phones

Spyware is malicious code that people, or governments, use to spy on user’s devices by accessing data through GPS, camera, or microphone. Online vendors have made this spyware available to normal people, allowing them to spy on their children or spouses, for example. The use of this spyware is extremely disconcerting for privacy concerns. For instance, it has been used by perpetrators of domestic violence to spy on and control their victims. Hackers have targeted companies like FlexiSpy, which builds consumer stalker-ware, in order to punish them for facilitating breaches of privacy.