Google’s ban ads for so-called “stalker“Apps, invasive programs largely associated with jealous ex-partners or abusive partners to spy on another person without their authorization. Although since the online search giant has already adopted a general ban Against stalkerware applications in their Play Store, one must wonder why they were still allowed to start with such ads.
Better late than never, I guess.
In a advertising policy update This week, Google said that starting August 11, it will ban ads for marketed products or services to secretly track or monitor someone. This includes, but is not limited to:
Spyware and technology used for intimate partner surveillance include, but are not limited to, spyware / malware that can be used to monitor text messages, phone calls, or browsing history; GPS trackers marketed specifically to spy on or track someone without their consent; promotion of surveillance equipment (cameras, audio recorders, dash cameras, nanny cameras) marketed for the express purpose of spying.
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Essentially, any type of digital surveillance technology that depends on the person being viewed does not know what is going on. Exceptions to this ban include apps and services for private investigations and helicopter parents seeking to monitor their minor children.
Advertisers who do not comply with this new policy will have their accounts suspended with at least a seven-day advance warning.
Google has been stepping up efforts to end its stalkerware problem, particularly after a 2018 study He found that it contained thousands of ads for hidden surveillance technology that specifically called people who wanted cyberbullying to their partner. Several of the ads uncovered included nose shots like “How to Catch an Unfaithful Spouse on Your Cell Phone” and “Track My Wife’s Phone – Want to Spy on Your Wife? Track your wife without him knowing it.
Google has taken steps to restrict the appearance of these ads to some of the most damning search terms an abuser could use, but many continue to escape the cracks. Despite its general ban on the app store, the company occasionally purge batches of stalkerware applications from your Play Store that managed to avoid being marked.
The sad thing is that these stalkerware applications are a frequent problem for a reason. A NortonLifeLock Study released in February found that nearly half of Americans admitted to cyberbullying a partner or ex in some way. These methods included spying on your partner’s phone, creating a fake profile to stalk them on social media, or using an app to secretly monitor their online activity and location data, with men more than twice as likely as women. to trust cyber bullying apps.
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