Google bans ads promoting stalkerware and spyware

Google will ban ads promoting stalkerware and spyware. The policies surrounding that software will be adjusted, but there will still be exceptions for software to keep an eye on children, for example.

Google is adjusting its advertising policy, it writes in a blog post. This specifically concerns the rule ‘Enabling Dishonest Behavior’. It also adds that spyware and “partner surveillance technology” are no longer allowed in Google ads or in apps.

Spy or stalkerware is software that allows people to covertly track their partners, for example by tracking their location via GPS data or by reading their messages without the partner realizing it. The apps are often built to run in the background, leaving the victim with no idea that the app is running.

Google does say there will be an exception for software “used by private research services” and for “products and services aimed at parents who want to track their minor children.” The updated policy prohibits the promotion of products and services that market themselves for the specific purpose of tracking other individuals and their activities without their consent.

The policy will take effect from August 11, and will then apply worldwide. Critics question whether the ban will have much effect. In the past, many stalkerware makers marketed their software as a security service or as a way to monitor children, which is still allowed.