Why You Don’t Need to Be Bezos to Worry About Spyware

The news that an iPhone owned by Amazon.com Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos had been hacked prompted widespread speculation about how it happened and whether the Saudi crown prince may have been involved, as some investigators have alleged. But it also led many people to wonder whether their own phone might be turned against them. Spyware is used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to track criminals and terrorists, and by repressive governments to spy on enemies. Beyond targeted spyware that secretly hacks phones, hundreds of companies track people’s everyday internet use.

It’s a subset of malware, the name given broadly to software that harms unsuspecting users. Spyware specifically is software meant to extract information such as internet browsing history or private communications from devices it’s installed on without the user’s consent. In its most sophisticated form, spyware can be unwittingly downloaded on a phone and extract texts and private files and monitor a user’s actions. Those types of spyware are often developed by intelligence agencies or a small but growing number of private firms -- many run by former military intelligence officers. Spyware can also be used by the private sector to send consumers pop-up ads, redirect them to unwanted websites or track browsing history to predict what types of products and services they may be interested in.