FTC Surveillance App Settlement Signals Concern Over Deceptive Tracking

The FTC recently settled with a surveillance app operator over allegations that the company facilitated the secret harvesting of personal information. According to the FTC, the main users of Support King, LLC's "SpyFone" app were bad actors who used the tool to remotely monitor users' physical and digital activities. The FTC dismissed the company's argument that the users were employers and parents as a "pretext." It felt neither group would want to use the product, which to install required minimizing the device's security settings and potentially voiding the device warranty.

Service King failed to take reasonable steps, the FTC felt, to make sure the app was used for legitimate reasons and not by potential stalkers. The FTC also found the company's practices deceptive. Namely, the company said it "took all reasonable precautions" to protect personal information. The FTC disagreed. Instead, it said, the company's insufficient security practices resulted in a 2018