Google has suspended the account of Catwatchful, a phone surveillance operator that used Firebase to host spyware designed for non-consensual monitoring. Alerts from TechCrunch prompted Google to investigate and shut down the operation, which had been stealing data from numerous compromised phones. Catwatchful's spyware functioned undetectably as a child monitoring app, requiring physical installation on victims' devices. It uploaded sensitive data like messages and location information to a web dashboard accessible to the perpetrators. Following the suspension, Catwatchful is no longer operational.
Catwatchful was an Android-specific spyware that presented itself as a child monitoring app "undetectable" to the user. These monitoring apps are often called "stalkerware" for their propensity to be used for non-consensual surveillance, which is illegal.
Catwatchful relied on Firebase to host and store vast amounts of data stolen from thousands of phones compromised by its spyware. As of Friday, Catwatchful is no longer functioning.
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