The apps cost as little as $8 per month and are both marketed primarily as a way for people to monitor their children or employees. While there may be legitimate reasons and ways to do that, critics say these apps do far much more.
mSpy can track the target’s movements, using GPS, and access all their contacts, call logs and text messages. FlexiSpy is able to secretly listen in to phone calls on many phones. Users can log into FlexiSpy’s website and then take control of the target’s phone anytime anwhere. The target’s camera can be used to take pictures stealthily, and even ongoing calls can be listened to.
Naturally, using the apps may violate federal and state privacy laws, hence the respective companies have warned that people who download these apps should only use them on phones they own – such as phones belonging to their own children or employees’ work phones – and only after notifying the phone’s user.
The best form of protection, according to experts, is to have your phone with you at all times, set the device to lock immediately after each use, never tell anyone your password and change your password regularly.
Mobile Apps that Spy on You through your Cellphone
