United States of America: Issued Assurance against tech companies selling spyware

On 2 February 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that it had agreed to an Assurance following an investigation into a consortium of 16 technological companies owned by respondent Patrick Hinchy. The investigation found that the companies had illegally promoted spyware that allowed individuals to monitor another person’s device without their awareness or consent. The software products sold by the companies allowed users to monitor activity on other devices, including call logs, text messages, browsing history, photos, videos, location, among others. Under the terms of the Assurance, the companies are required to modify the apps and software so that the owner of the device being monitored is notified and informed of the types of information collected by the app or software. Further, a USD 410'000 penalty will be paid.