Stalkerware
Stalkerware is monitoring software or spyware that is used for cyberstalking. The term was coined when people started to widely use commercial spyware to spy on their spouses or intimate partners. Stalkerware has been criticized because of its use by abusers, stalkers, and employers. Definition and uses. Many information security experts and journalists apply the term "stalkerware" to any software (malicious programs and legitimate commercial monitoring products) that can be used or potentially be used for stalking. The following features of stalkerware are distinguished: History. According to a 2014 survey by NPR, 75% of domestic abuse shelters surveyed reported  that they were working with individuals who had been tracked by their abusers via stalkerware. The rising popularity of stalkerware led to an arms race between apps which helped users protect their privacy, and apps designed to circumvent those safeguards. Throughout its history, companies which develop stalkerware have been subject to numerous hacks and data breaches, many by hacktivists in protest of stalkerware's unethical applications. Companies including MSpy, Flexispy, and KidGuard have been targets of breaches. In 2018, computer security specialist and activist Eva Galperin created a project to eradicate stalkerware. Galperin has advocated for stalkerware to be seen  as malware, and for phone and software companies to take steps to safeguard against the use of such programs. In 2020, Kaspersky Lab released a report on the state of stalkerware. Among its findings were that the United States, Russia and Brazil were the three countries most affected. Reception. Stalkerware has been criticized for its use by abusers to control and monitor their victims. The European Institute for Gender Equality released a report on stalkerware and cyberstalking's connection to domestic violence. Guides on how to detect and disable stalkerware have been published by sites including Mashable, Wired, and CNET . The news organization "Vice" publishes "When Spies Come Home", an investigative series about the use of stalkerware, and various controversies surrounding the industry.