FTC Bans SpyFone From Surveillance Business Due to Secret Data Harvesting Allegations

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had banned stalkerware vendor SpyFone and its CEO, Scott Zuckerman, from working in the surveillance business. The ban was issued “over allegations that the stalkerware app company secretly harvested and shared data on people’s physical movements, phone use, and online activities through a hidden device hack.”

The FTC said that the “stalkerware was hidden from device owners, but was fully exposed to hackers who exploited the company’s slipshod security. This case is an important reminder that surveillance-based businesses pose a significant threat to our safety and security. We will be aggressive about seeking surveillance bans when companies and their executives egregiously invade our privacy." (Joseph Cox / Motherboard)

Related: Gizmodo, EFF, Associated Press Technology, The Hill: Cybersecurity, Bleeping Computer, The Independent, Mashable, Malwarebytes Labs, Reuters, Cyberscoop, CNBC, FTC, Malwarebytes Labs, CNBC, Blog | Avast EN…