The apps were produced to help users haunt their kids, significant others, employees and others. They tracked the target’s location, collected his/her contacts, SMS and call history. But, for these apps to work, the person doing the stalking had to have access to the target’s phone and install one of the apps on that device. The snoop then used his email address and password to have the same app sent to his own phone. Once placed on the target’s phone, the app showed the spy how to get rid of any sign that it had been installed. No icon come out to alert the person being stalked that an app had privately been loaded on his or her phone.

 

“These apps are highly unethical and problematic for people’s privacy and shouldn’t be on the Google Play Store. They promote criminal behavior and can be abused by employers, stalkers or abusive partners to spy on their victims. We classify such apps as stalkerware, and using apklab.io we can identify such apps quickly, and collaborate with Google to get them removed.”-Nikolaos Chrysaidos, head of mobile threat intelligence and security, Avast

 

The apps that were removed included:

 

Track Employees Check Work Phone Online Spy Free

Spy Kids Tracker

Phone Cell Tracker

Mobile Tracking

Spy Tracker

SMS Tracker

Employee Work Spy

 

TRONSERVE