Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Flexi Morality - Expanded Cell Phone Spyware Laws Introduced

On three occasions this week, I asked a FlexiSpy salesperson a simple question: If I wanted to, could I use their spyware to snoop on my wife's cellphone without her knowing? The answer each time was yes. 

When asked if it was legal, they responded with a canned disclaimer explaining it was necessary to get the permission of the target. But what if I didn't want my wife to know? They could help me anyway...

Detect phone warming caused by spyware. (for clients only)
Even though I started each conversation telling the FlexiSpy salesperson I was a FORBES reporter, they were happy to offer suggestions about how one could install the app without permission of the target. One said I could "sneak to get her phone" and then install, a process that FlexiSpy would guide me through. He sought to allay any fears about getting caught, noting there was no icon and it would operate silently...

Meanwhile, lawmakers are seeking to expand laws that punish unwarranted, secret surveillance. Last week, Senators Ron Wyden, Jason Chaffetz and John Conyers introduced The Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance (GPS) Act. Specifically, it creates criminal penalties for "surreptitiously using an electronic device to track a person's movements that parallel the penalties that exist for illegal wiretapping." more  other cell phone spy gadgets