A Michigan man was recently sentenced to a relatively short prison term after being found guilty of operating the pcTattletale spyware app without a license.
pcTattletale, which launched in 2002, allowed users to monitor their phone and computer usage remotely. Initially marketed as a tool for parents to keep tabs on their children or employers to monitor employee productivity, it gained notoriety for its use by romantic partners who wanted to catch cheating spouses without their knowledge.
The app was designed to record everything done on the target device, upload videos of the activity to a server, and provide a user interface to view the footage. In 2021, Vice reported that pcTattletale had leaked sensitive data collected by the software, including emails and texts from unsuspecting victims.
Prosecutors say Bryan Fleming was aware that many users were using his software for malicious purposes, despite its original marketing claims of being a tool for monitoring children or employee productivity.
In 2022, the US government obtained a search warrant at Fleming's home in Michigan after suspecting him of running an illicit spyware operation. In May this year Bryan Fleming pleaded guilty to selling unlicensed software used to surreptitiously intercept communications.
As part of his plea deal, he will spend about four years and six months behind bars when he is released from prison in 2027.
pcTattletale, which launched in 2002, allowed users to monitor their phone and computer usage remotely. Initially marketed as a tool for parents to keep tabs on their children or employers to monitor employee productivity, it gained notoriety for its use by romantic partners who wanted to catch cheating spouses without their knowledge.
The app was designed to record everything done on the target device, upload videos of the activity to a server, and provide a user interface to view the footage. In 2021, Vice reported that pcTattletale had leaked sensitive data collected by the software, including emails and texts from unsuspecting victims.
Prosecutors say Bryan Fleming was aware that many users were using his software for malicious purposes, despite its original marketing claims of being a tool for monitoring children or employee productivity.
In 2022, the US government obtained a search warrant at Fleming's home in Michigan after suspecting him of running an illicit spyware operation. In May this year Bryan Fleming pleaded guilty to selling unlicensed software used to surreptitiously intercept communications.
As part of his plea deal, he will spend about four years and six months behind bars when he is released from prison in 2027.
! I mean, we're talking about a guy who sold spyware without a license and put people's private info at risk 
. According to my research, there have been over 100 reported cases of users experiencing data breaches or hacking due to malicious use of pcTattletale since its launch in 2002 
.
. Time to get this guy back in line and make sure his software is used responsibly from now on 
!
. And this guy Bryan Fleming, I don't get why he didn't think through the implications of creating such a tool in the first place. He's basically profiting from people's trust, using it as a way to gather info without consent... it's just not right 
. The fact that he knew about all these malicious uses and still went ahead with it is just mind-boggling 
. Still, can't we just have some tech companies that prioritize ethics over profits? 
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. And the government knew about it too! They're just turning a blind eye while Fleming gets off with four years and six months? It seems like there's more to this story than meets the eye 
. I'm telling you, this is all connected to Big Brother or something... 
pcTattletale was meant to be a tool for parents & employers, not for getting revenge or blackmail 
But at the same time, I get why prosecutors wanted a sentence that reflects the severity of his actions. Still feels like an awfully long sentence for just being aware of its use... I guess we'll see how he turns out after serving it 
. i mean, it's not like he was the only one using it for malicious stuff, but still... his software recorded EVERYTHING on the target device, including videos of people doing their thing 
and now some dude is gonna get to experience life behind bars while others are out here getting away with way more shady stuff 
. also btw, wasn't this app first launched in 2002? like, what's taking so long for the government to crack down on it? 
It's not just the fact that they're breaking the law, it's also the invasion of privacy it causes. I mean, can you imagine if your significant other or employer did this to you? 
I mean, Bryan Fleming gets caught running a spyware app that's basically designed for cheating spouses, but he manages to get off with only 4.5 years in the slammer? 
It's not like Fleming didn't know his software was being misused – he basically profited from the whole "I'm gonna snoop on my partner" vibe 
. And now he gets to enjoy four years of relaxation in prison, thinking about all the catfishing and digital drama he enabled 
. And what really gets me is that his software even leaked sensitive data in 2021... can you imagine how many people were affected by that? It's like, you'd think the authorities would've given him a much longer sentence considering all that. I guess you just gotta hope he doesn't get out early and cause more trouble 
.