As reported by TechCrunch, an app made by ClevGuard called KidsGuard stalks spouses, employees, and children. ClevGuard advertises the app for this purpose as while highlighting the apps stealth capabilities. Lots of these types of apps, called “stalkerware,” exist but this one’s crummier than the rest. The app copies data off of the target’s phone and takes screenshots as well. The app hides itself as a system app and doesn’t provide an icon to uninstall the app. Researchers first investigated this app because they found a public bucket with users’ information from the app on Alibaba Cloud storage. ClevGuard didn’t protect the data in any way so anyone could access the data and download a user’s personal information.
Users can protect themselves by only downloading apps from trusted sources. For this app to install, you, or someone who has access to your phone, must make changes to your security settings and install it. If you purchase a used phone always reset it before you use it. Keep your phone locked and if you do lose track of your phone, check your Google Play Protect settings. For iPhones, Apple doesn’t allow 3rd party apps unless the phone becomes compromised, like when jailbroken. If your friend or partner installs this on your phone you may have other issues than just stalkerware on your phone.