Intimate Surveillance & Stalking Technology
The most common form of surveillance is not carried out by governments. It is carried out by people who say they love you.
The Phone That Watched Everything
Sofia had been trying to leave for months. Every time she planned something, her partner seemed to know.
He knew when she called her sister. He knew she had looked up a refuge phone number. He knew she had told a friend she was thinking of leaving. He knew her location at every moment.
There was no mystery. The app had been installed on her phone 11 months ago - disguised as a battery optimiser. It ran silently. It transmitted her GPS location every 3 minutes. It forwarded her SMS messages. It uploaded screenshots. She had no idea it was there.
What Is Actually Happening
+186%
increase in stalkerware detections between 2019 and 2024.
In 70% of cases, the perpetrator is an intimate partner.
Source: Kaspersky State of Stalkerware Report, 2024Legally Sold as "Parental Apps"
Most stalkerware is sold legally as parental monitoring or employee tracking software. The same app that monitors a child's device is used to monitor a partner's. Many are available in mainstream app stores or sold openly online.
Takes Under 5 Minutes
Most stalkerware can be installed on an unlocked Android phone in under 5 minutes. iOS is harder to compromise without jailbreaking, but shared iCloud accounts, Find My, and MDM profiles are used instead.
Surveillance Is the Weapon
In coercive control cases, digital surveillance is used to monitor, isolate, and pre-empt escape. 68% of domestic abuse survivors in a 2023 UK study reported their abuser had used technology to monitor or control them.
Deleting the App Can Escalate Risk
Many stalkerware apps alert the installer when they are removed. Deleting monitoring software without a safety plan can trigger an immediate threat. This is the most critical point in this module.
Common Surveillance Methods
Stalkerware apps
Installed directly on the device, usually disguised as a utility. Capable of transmitting GPS location, SMS content, call logs, photos, microphone access, and screenshots to the perpetrator in real time.
Shared iCloud or Google accounts
If an abuser has access to an iCloud or Google account linked to your device, they can see your location, photos, messages (if synced), and browsing history without any app installed.
Find My and location sharing
Apple Find My, Google Maps location sharing, and Life360 are used as overt location tracking tools. In abusive contexts, consent to share location is not genuinely voluntary.
Smart home access
Shared accounts on smart speakers, video doorbells, and connected locks allow monitoring of who enters and leaves the home and when. These accounts often remain accessible after separation.
AirTags and tracking devices
Physical tracking devices can be concealed in bags, cars, and personal items. Apple introduced AirTag detection alerts in 2022, but third-party trackers do not trigger the same notifications.
Try It: Stalkerware Device Check
Work through 6 signs of monitoring software on your device. Generates a finding for each check.
If You Find Something - Read This First
Do not delete the app immediately. Many stalkerware apps send an alert to the person who installed them when they are removed. If you are in a situation where that person poses a risk, removing the app without a plan can escalate danger.
Contact a specialist before acting. UK: National Stalking Helpline - 0808 802 0300. Refuge - 0808 2000 247. Coalition Against Stalkerware - stopstalkerware.org. These organisations have experience advising on safe steps for your specific situation.
A new or factory-reset device is the safest option. If you need to communicate safely, the most reliable approach is a new device that has never been in the perpetrator's possession, using a new account they do not know about.
Three Things Worth Doing
1. Audit your shared accounts. List every account where someone else knows your password or is listed as a family member. Google, Apple, Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, and smart home apps are common. Revoke access you did not intentionally grant.
2. Review location sharing settings. Check Settings > Privacy > Location Sharing on your phone. Check Google Maps: your profile > Location Sharing. Check Apple Find My > Share My Location. Remove anyone you did not intend to share with.
3. Check for unknown Apple MDM or device management profiles. iOS: Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Android: Settings > Security > Device Admin Apps. Profiles you do not recognise may have been installed by someone with physical access to your device.
One Question Before You Continue
You suspect your partner has installed monitoring software on your phone. What is the safest first step?