Why did the FTC ban SpyFone founder Scott Zuckerman?

The FTC banned Scott Zuckerman due to a significant data breach in 2018 that exposed sensitive customer information from his company, SpyFone.

Can Scott Zuckerman sell stalkerware again after the FTC ban denial?

No, the FTC recently denied his request, upholding the ban that prevents him from offering, promoting, selling, or advertising any surveillance app or service.

What kind of data was exposed in the SpyFone data breach?

The SpyFone data breach exposed sensitive information including selfies, text and chat messages, audio recordings, contacts, location data, and login credentials.

Home / Technology / FTC Denies Spy Software Ban Appeal, Upholds Ban

FTC Denies Spy Software Ban Appeal, Upholds Ban

9 Dec, 2025

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Summary

FTC upheld a ban preventing a stalkerware founder from selling invasive software.
The ban resulted from a 2018 data breach exposing sensitive customer information.
The founder allegedly attempted to circumvent the ban with a new stalkerware company.

FTC Denies Spy Software Ban Appeal, Upholds Ban

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has firmly upheld a ban against Scott Zuckerman, the founder of defunct consumer spyware companies SpyFone and OneClickMonitor. This decision, announced recently, denies Zuckerman's petition to overturn a 2021 order that prohibited him from participating in the surveillance software industry. The original ban was a direct consequence of a severe data breach in 2018.

This breach, discovered by a security researcher, exposed a vast amount of sensitive personal information from SpyFone users. Data included private messages, selfies, contacts, location history, and login credentials. The FTC's 2021 order not only banned Zuckerman from selling any surveillance app but also mandated the deletion of collected data and implementation of robust cybersecurity practices.