How “stalkerware” apps are letting abusive partners spy on their victims

Many women are unaware that they are being spied on with apps hidden on their phones. App-store owners must do more.

“He knew where I was at all times, who I was talking to on email, text messages, social media—all of it. He could see everything. I had no privacy,” says Anna (not her real name).

The news: Thousands of people, most of them women, have apps on their phones installed by their partners to let them spy on all their smartphone activity: email, text messages, even social media. Many of these apps can be downloaded from Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Most victims don’t know they’re being tracked, or don’t know how to stop it once they are.

The scale of the problem: Kaspersky found and removed 58,000 instances of stalkerware last year, after people downloaded its antivirus app to run scans.

Technology’s role: It’s not just stalkerware. Domestic-violence charity Refuge estimates that around 95% of its cases involve some form of technology-based abuse. Internet-connected devices and smart-home products could make the problem worse. Read the full story HERE.

What should you do if you’re worried about whether you have stalkerware installed on your phone?

• Download antivirus software and run a scan
• Use a fingerprint or pass code for every device
• Regularly review which apps are downloaded
• Check your security and notification settings carefully

Big Data and Criminal Justice – What Canadians Need to Know

Every Google search, credit card purchase, social media interaction, and doctor’s visit leave traces of information about you, where you’ve been, who you’ve interacted with, and what you like. What’s more, advertisers, data brokers, and government agencies can collect and analyze the digital breadcrumbs you leave behind as you go about your day. Welcome to the world of ‘big data.’

While data-driven technologies may be used for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole, they run an equal risk of entrenching discrimination and
exacerbating various forms of inequality. The realm of criminal justice is no exception; big data has both the potential to infuse fairness into the administration of justice, and, more worryingly, expedite the reproduction of existing biases.

In this Broadbent Institute report we show what ‘big data’ is, how it is used in the context of criminal justice in Canada and beyond, and how we might think about the potential beneficial and detrimental effects of these technologies on our society.

Download the Report