In recent years, a variety of cell phone positioning software has become popular in China. According to the business, these positioning APPs can determine the location of the other party as long as the cell phone number is entered, and even be able to illegally access the chat records of others. It is reported that these apps have been on the shelves for more than a year, involving more than 200,000 accounts, and more than 200,000 cell phone terminals have been controlled.
According to the Guangzhou Daily, Guangdong Foshan Xue bought a “hidden” version of the positioning App “Observer”, which can be used to see where the monitored person is at any Time and anywhere, and can even view the other person’s cell phone screen and open the other person’s camera.
The report said that the buyer bought the app online and installed it on his own phone first, and then secretly installed the hidden version of the app into the monitored person’s phone, so he could monitor it remotely.
The investigation found that the software developer had also developed several other apps with similar functions, which could not only remotely control positioning, but also remotely read and write files and control cameras.
One of the apps even illegally accessed the chat records of WeChat users. The app synchronized about 450,000 WeChat chat records within six months, involving 975 controlled cell phones. These apps have been on the shelves for more than a year, involving more than 200,000 accounts and more than 200,000 controlled cell phone terminals.
According to the report, such programs claim to be free to download, but induce users to use the paid functions. And there is no explanation to users on how to actually use it, nor is there any indication that the consent of the monitored person is required to use it. The software also has the opportunity to leak personal data, illegally store user cell phone information and share it with other companies.
Ou Wei’an, a professor at Guangzhou University Law School, said that even if both parties agree to use it, if the App used is illegal software, it is suspected of violating the provisions of relevant network security laws. Users downloading the App through abnormal channels may expose their cell phones to virus attacks and leak personal data.
The number of incidents of mobile apps collecting excessive information from users and allegedly disclosing their privacy has increased exponentially in recent years. WeChat, which has 1 billion users worldwide, has been criticized for allegedly leaking privacy. Even Geely’s chief Li Shufu has made no secret of the fact that Ma Huateng is using WeChat to watch everyone’s every move. He also said that everyone in China is now almost entirely transparent, without any privacy and information security, with cameras everywhere when walking on the road and flashing lights everywhere when driving a car.
As for other applications, there are very few that can fully withstand the test of information security. Baidu’s “Mobile Baidu” and “Baidu Browser” are two apps that have been installed without user consent to obtain permissions such as “listening to phone calls, positioning, reading SMS and MMS, reading contacts, modifying Baidu” and “Baidu Browser” have been taken to court by the Consumer Rights Protection Commission for refusing to rectify the situation.
In addition, 27 cell phone programs such as 12306, Aiki, Where to Travel, Tencent Video, Dragonfly FM, etc. have common problems such as not doing their duty to inform the user of the permission, not providing the opportunity to choose directly, excessive collection of personal information, and inadequate rules and measures to protect personal information.
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