Cyber dating abuse or proof of love? The use of apps for surveillance and control in affective-sexual relations

Flach, Roberta Matassoli Duran; Deslandes, Suely Ferreira

doi:10.1590/0102-311X00060118

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ARTICLE • Cad. Saúde Pública 35 (1) • 2019 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311X00060118 linkcopy

Cyber dating abuse or proof of love? The use of apps for surveillance and control in affective-sexual relations

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Contemporary digital culture is marked by intermingling borders between the public and private spheres, urging internauts to be both controllers and controlled. The article analyzes the discursive productions on surveillance and control of partners by online tools provided by the Android and iOS systems, available as cellphone apps. The authors use critical discourse analysis to examine and interpret text messages from 40 Android and iOS apps used to monitor and control intimate partners. We identified two blocks with two distinct (but not mutually exclusive) discursive meanings: control/monitoring and care/protection. The texts’ enunciative force is based on a promise of total and unlimited control with the purpose of ensuring “peace of mind”, “safety/security”, and “harmony” in the intimate relationship. Such surveillance uses rhetorical arguments that refer to “proof of love”, “care”, and “protection” as justifications for monitoring and controlling the other.

Keywords:
Intimate Partner Violence; Mobile Appilications; Internet

App	Developer	Name of app	Current version	Free/ Paid	User ratings	Downloads	Search key
Android via Play Store
1	Alexxfloo	Cellphone tracker	5.0 (updated 20/Nov/2016)	Free	3.0	1,000-5,000	RNo, RNa, ENo, ENa, EM, EE
2	All Consult	RDC Cellphone tracker	5.0 (updated 30/Oct/2014)	Free	4.2	100,000-500,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
3	AlPlugApps	Cell Phone Tracker	1.8.1 (updated 21/Jul/2016)	Free	3.7	50,000-100,000	EM, EE
4	AnyTracking	Detective cellphone tracker	1.1.5 (updated 29/Oct/2015)	Free	3.4	100,000-500,000	RNo, RNa, ENo, EM, EE
5	AppDroid Aplicativos Ponto Com	Boyfriend tracker	4.6 (updated 14/Oct/2016)	Free	3.4	100,000-500,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
6	AppDroid Aplicativos Ponto Com	Girlfriend tracker	4.4 (updated 14/Oct/2016)	Free	3.5	100,000-500,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
7	AppDroid Aplicativos Ponto Com	Track cellphone by number	1.9 (updated 12/Dec/2016)	Free	3.5	100,000-500,000	RNo, RNa
8	AppDroid Aplicativos Ponto Com	“Where are You?” Tracker	2.2 (updated 04/Oct/2016)	Free	3.3	50,000-100,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
9	AppDroid Aplicativos Ponto Com	Free Cellphone tracker	4.8 (updated 26/Dec/2016)	Free	3.6	1,000,000-5,000,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
10	AppDroid Aplicativos Ponto Com	Pro Cellphone tracker	3.8 (updated 20/Dec/2016)	Free	3.6	100,000-500,000	RNa
11	BytePioneers s.r.o.	Couple Tracker-Track Cellphone	1.69 (updated 11/Jan/2017)	Free	4.1	1,000,000-5,000,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
12	CS Systems Pvt Ltd.-iLocateMobile	Monitor any telephone	4.5.3 (updated 12/Jan/2017)	Free	3.7	1,000,000-5,000,000	RNo, RNa, ENo, ENa, EM
13	Darsh	Locator	18 (updated 27/Dec/2016)	Free	4.6	1,000-5,000	RNa
14	Davidsonmue Tomunen	GPS Cellphone location	1.0 (updated 25/May/2016)	Free	3.6	10,000-50,000	RNa, ENa
15	DenDev	GPS Control (Free)	1.2 (updated 27/May/2013)	Free	3.0	10,000-50,000	RNa, ENa
16	DevKir	Mobile SMS Tracker	3.1.1 (updated 26/Mar/2015)	Free	3.3	50,000-100,000	EM
17	Free vpn location dev	Find Phone Location Advice	1.0 (updated 22/Jan/2017)	Free	New (recent launch)	New (recent launch)	RNo, RNa, ENo
18	Fugasam	Telephone tracking	1.0 (updated 16/Dec/2016)	Free	3.2	1,000-5,000	RNo, RNa, ENo, ENa, EM, EE
19	Geeks n Ninjas	Randoms: Mobile Tracker	1.0 (updated 18/Jun/2014)	Free	3.5	1,000-5,000	RNo, RNa
20	Innohabit Technologies	Trust Me More	1.8 (updated 26/Feb/2016)	Free	3.4	100-500	RNo, RNa, ENo
21	IT Soft Dynamics	People Location Finder	PLF6 (updated 19/Nov/2015)	Free	4.0	10,000-50,000	RNo, RNa
22	Jade SA	Mobile Phone Tracker	22 (updated 6/Dec/2016)	Free	3.4	5,000-10,000	EM, EE
23	Leeway Applab	Whatscan	1.0.1 (updated 16/Jan/2017)	Free	4.0	500-1,000	ENo, ENa, EE
24	MateXPlore	TrustMate App	1.0.1 (updated 14/Jan/2017)	Free	4.4	100-500	RNo, RNa, ENo
25	MaxLo	Mobile Phone Tracker	4.2.1 (updated 23/Mar/2015)	Free	3.8	10,000-50,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
26	Mcgill Dias	Coliseum Tracker	2.3 (updated 17/Nov/2016)	Free	4.2	1,000-5,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
27	MNA Team	Couple Monitor Device Tracker	1.0.3 (updated 06/Dec/2016)	Free	3.7	10,000-50,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
28	Omega Solutions	Mary’s Boyfriend Tracker	2.8 (updated 17/Aug/2016)	Free	3.0	100-500	RNo, RNa, ENo
29	Omega Solutions	Pokies Girlfriend Tracker	2.8 (updated 17/Aug/2016)	Free	5.0	100-500	RNa
30	Peerzada Solutions	Track Me	1.0.3 (updated 11/Feb/2015)	Free	4.6	100-500	RNo, RNa
31	Sahil Jain	Musafir Trip	1.2.4 (updated 04/Jul/2015)	Free	5.0	100-500	RNo, RNa, ENo
32	Shiek Apps	Friends Tracker	2.1 (updated 17/Aug/2016)	Free	3.9	500,000-1,000,000	RNo, ENo
33	SoftSquare InfoSoft	Amiga Cellphone Tracker	1.18 (updated 08/Jan/2017)	Free	3.8	100,000-500,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
34	TGF Company	Boyfriend tracker	1.0.2 (updated 15/Jun/2014)	Free	2.8	10,000-50,000	RNo, RNa
35	Trila.Droid	GPS Location Tracker	2.2.0b (updated 17/Feb/2016)	Free	4.0	500,000-1,000,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
36	Trila.Droid	GPS Location Tracker Pro	2.2.0b (updated 17/Feb/2016)	BRL 8.16	4.1	500-1,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
37	Windorado.com	Love Keeper - Cheater Alert	2.0.3 (updated 14/May/2014)	Free	2.6	10,000-50,000	RNo, RNa
38	Xevate	IpSpy monitor anywhere	Ipspy.1 (updated 25/Aug/2016)	Free	1.0	100-500	EM
39	ycventure	Tracker Cellphone	1.1 (updated 06/Aug/2016)	Free	3.4	10,000-50,000	RNo, RNa, ENo
40	Zaid Ahmed	Location Tracker	1.0 (updated 24/Mar/2014)	Free	3.6	1,000-5,000	RNa
iOS via App Store
4a	Luciano M. A. Cardoso	AnyTracking	1.2.2 (uptdated 09/Apr/2016)	Free	> 4	-	RNo, RNa

App	Objective *	Target public for control
1	Monitor, children, employees, and personal life	Children, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, lover
2	Follow mobile device’s location remotely	Children, girlfriend, boyfriend
3	Track any mobile telephone	Wife, husband, employees
4	Monitor and track anyone in real time with their knowing	Children, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, employees
4a	Monitor and track whoever you want in real time	Children, husband, wife, employees, technicians, executives, representatives
5	Track boyfriend’s location	Boyfriend, wife, hookup
6	Track girlfriend location	Girlfriend, wife, hookup
7	Track cellphone via sharing location in real time, using the phone number	Children, girlfriend, friends, family
8	Track cellphone via sharing location in real time, using the phone number	Friends, family, loved ones, boyfriends, children
9	Track cellphone via sharing location in real time, using the phone number	Friends, family, loved ones, boyfriends, children
10	Track cellphone via sharing location in real time, using the phone number	Friends, family, loved ones, boyfriends, children
11	Prevention and detection of cheating and extramarital affairs	Partners, lovers, husbands
12	Track cellphone via GPS	Children, boyfriends, fiancés
13	Track current location	Sister, girlfriend, children
14	Track current location via GPS and SMS	Children, parents, girlfriend
15	Track current location via GPS	Children and girlfriend
16	Control all your loved ones	Children, employees, partners, and relatives
17	Track boyfriend’s exact location	Boyfriend
18	Track cellphone to keep children safe, employee productive, and prevent cheating	Children, employees, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, lover
19	Monitor smartphone in real time via any web navigator	Children, employees, spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend
20	Track partner’s location	Boyfriend, girlfriend
21	Send loved ones’ precise location in real time	Children, boyfriend, girlfriend
22	Track wife/husband’s location via cellphone	Wife, husband
23	Clone another WhatsApp account to monitor chat messages, images, and videos	Children, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend
24	Monitor partner to reduce risk of cheating and jealousy	Girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband
25	Monitor cellphones	Children, elderly, and partner (girlfriend, boyfriend)
26	Track anyone’s location	Children, employees, boyfriend, girlfriend, luggage
27	Monitor partner	Spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé
28	Track location of boyfriend	Boyfriend
29	Track location of girlfriend	Girlfriend
30	Track partner and friends	Boyfriend and loved ones
31	Track location	Sin, daughter, girlfriend, boyfriend, wife
32	Track location	Friends, family, girlfriend, boyfriend
33	Locate girlfriend in real time via cellphone	Girlfriend, boyfriend
34	Track and monitor boyfriend remotely	Boyfriend
35	Track location via GPS	Boyfriend, girlfriend, children, elderly, friends, employees
36	Track location via GPS	Boyfriend, girlfriend, children, elderly, friends, employees
37	Track location of partner to monitor whether they are cheating on you	Partners
38	Monitor anything	Babies, husbands, wives
39	Track location via GPS	Friends, family, boyfriend, girlfriend
40	Track location of children and boyfriend	Children, boyfriend, girlfriend

location_on

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[TFN4] EE: wife spy; EM: husband spy; ENa: girlfriend spy; Eno: boyfriend spy; RNa: girlfriend tracker; RNo: boyfriend tracker.

[TFN5] * Search performed on 28/Jun/2017.