Stalkerware usage surging, despite data privacy concerns

Kaspersky’s 2023 State of Stalkerware report highlights a continued rise in stalkerware, impacting 31,031 users worldwide (+~6% YoY), with top-affected countries including Russia, Brazil, and India and common apps like TrackView, Reptilic, SpyPhone, Mobile Tracker, and Cerberus. The report underscores how these tools are stealthily installed and marketed as anti-theft or parental controls while enabling extensive surveillance (location, messages, calls, social media), posing acute risks in domestic abuse contexts. Survey data across multiple countries shows a troubling normalization of partner monitoring and password/device sharing, particularly among younger users, with a declining share of respondents who consider covert monitoring unacceptable.