Google recently removed several apps from the Google Play Store after discovering they violated the Play Store terms of service.
Only policy compliant apps exclusively designed and marketed for parental monitoring or enterprise management may distribute on the Play Store with tracking and reporting features.
- The action was taken more importantly because it could be used as stalkerware.
- For people who are unfamiliar with the phrase, ‘stalkerware‘ involves giving third-party app access to another user’s device, location data and other personal as well as sensitive information.
- It doesn’t mean the apps are deleted from your Android device, though, so now’s a great time to remove them.
- These apps often present themselves as normal tracking tools, but they can also be used to spy on romantic partners, friends or roommates.
- These apps run afoul of Google’s policies, surveillance and commercial spyware apps are prohibited on the Google Play Store.
- As part of these requirements, tracking apps must clearly show that they’re active and cannot mislead users about their purpose.
- In other words, apps that try to hide on a user’s device and send their location data to someone else are a no-go.
- Security company Avast was responsible for highlighting these seven stalkerware apps to Google, which you should remove from your Android device if you see them:
- Employee Work Spy
- Mobile Tracking
- Phone Cell Track
- SMS Tracker
- Spy Kids Tracker
- Spy Tracker
- Track Employees Check Work Phone Online Spy Free
By: Abhinav Ranjan, Editorial Desk, DKODING Media
