Covert surveillance applications

Abstract

Hidden spy applications are categorized as spy software. There are two categories of hidden spy applications, bossware and stalkerware. Bossware finds its usage in the business domain, for the tracking of employee productivity. On the other hand, stalkerware is used for partner surveillance, as well as the monitoring of children by the parents. Stalkerware are dangerous applications because they provide full control over the life of a victim, due to the large number of advanced options which allow their users to secretly record phone calls, view photos and videos, access users’ contact history, listen in on the phone environment live, etc. “Hidden” stalkerware applications are especially dangerous to their users. A large number of popular applications, which possess certain functions that allow them to gather data on their users and surveil them, are considered “hidden” stalkerware applications. A particular problem with these applications is the fact that they are not visible in the application menu or the title screen, making the odds of the device user realizing they are being surveilled minimal. The paper introduces stalkerware applications, “hidden” stalkerware applications, the signs that indicate the existence of stalkerware applications on the device, Google’s politics and attitude towards stalkerware, human rights in digital spaces, as well as the ways in which we combat this type of applications.