Couples Beware: Anti-Affair App Developers Arrested for Spying on Partners

Three individuals have been apprehended for allegedly developing and selling a mobile application that monitors text messages, phone calls, and location data. The app was marketed as an anti-affair tool on online forums for couples experiencing relationship difficulties.

Busan police report that the suspects are facing charges of wiretapping and distributing malicious software. The app was developed and sold through their website from January 2019 to December 2024.

The website promoted the app as a child protection tool, claiming it would help parents monitor their children’s locations, phone records, and overall phone usage. However, it failed to disclose that all phone conversations and text messages were immediately stored on a separate server, which could be accessed and downloaded by the app’s purchaser.

The app was advertised on local websites catering to couples undergoing divorce, presenting it as a means to track potential infidelity by spouses or romantic partners. Purchasers could covertly install the app on their partner’s phone and, through a specialized process, make it undetectable by antivirus software.

Authorities believe that approximately 6,000 individuals have downloaded the app. At least two men and ten women are suspected of engaging in illegal activities, including wiretapping. These individuals allegedly monitored the phone calls and text messages of their spouses and romantic partners, with some surveillance lasting several years.

The three app developers and website operators are believed to have profited approximately 2.7 billion KRW (1.9 million USD) from their illicit enterprise.