Google is trying to make it a little harder for a determined stalker to remotely spy on their spouse, partner, or ex by banning advertising of stalker software applications on their services, with a giant loophole.
The search giant updated its advertising policy to say that as of August 11, the company will no longer allow “the promotion of products or services that are marketed or targeted for the express purpose of tracking or monitoring another person or their activities. without your authorization. ” In particular, the ban does not include private investigation services or apps and services designed for parents to track or control their minor children.
The change may seem like it addresses only a small niche, but unfortunately the stalkerware problem is widespread. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in four women and one in ten men have experienced some form of intimate partner violence, harassment, or abuse. About 10 percent of women and 2 percent of men specifically report having been harassed by an intimate partner.
The era of smartphones, with all its benefits, has also put a new arsenal of monitoring tools within the reach of abusers. More than five years ago, NPR reported, “Cyberbullying is now a standard part of domestic abuse in the United States,” and has only grown since. The New York Times found “hundreds” of easily available stalkerware applications in 2018. Earlier this year, a survey found that one in ten Americans admitted to using stalkerware to track current or former partners, and it can be difficult for victims. Find out if a stalking app has been installed on your device. Last year, a man in Australia made international headlines for using “simple technology and smartphone apps” not only to track his ex-girlfriend’s every move, but also to remotely control his car.
A group of researchers who conducted an experiment in 2017 (PDF) found that Google’s search for terms like “how to catch an unfaithful spouse with their cell phone” resulted in thousands of advertising impressions for stalkerware. Many are listed as “dual-use” apps that have a legitimate purpose, such as child safety or anti-theft protections, “but are easily and effectively reused to spy on a partner,” the researchers found. Additionally, “there are a wealth of online resources available to educate abusers about exploiting applications to [intimate partner surveillance], “with some dual-use developers” encouraging its use in IPS through advertisements, blogs, and customer service, “the researchers said.
The popularity of “dual-use” apps, as described by the study, also means that Google’s ban on stalkerware ads has no effect, as many tracking apps already claim to have legitimate use for parents or researchers.
