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SUMMARY:Catch Me If You Scan: A Longitudinal Analysis of Stalkerware Evasi
 on Tactics - Anahitha Vijay (University of Cambridge)
DTSTART:20251031T140000Z
DTEND:20251031T150000Z
UID:TALK236605@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alexandre Pauwels
DESCRIPTION:Stalkerware–mobile software that enables covert surveillance
 \, especially in intimate partner relationships–persists as a significan
 t threat on the Android ecosystem despite platform-level policy and securi
 ty enhancements. We present the first multi-application longitudinal analy
 sis of the stalkerware ecosystem. We analyse 82 APKs from four prominent s
 talkerware brands sourced from official\, third-party\, and modded marketp
 laces\, mapping their technical evolution against key policy and OS update
 s from 2012 to 2025. We find a strategic dichotomy in developer behaviour 
 based on distribution channels. Applications distributed on third-party ch
 annels\, away from Google Play\, consistently target older\, less-secure A
 PIs to preserve invasive functionality\, effectively ignoring platform pol
 icies. In contrast\, developers on the Google Play platform respond reluct
 antly\, often employing malicious compliance (e.g.\, obfuscated notificati
 ons) or strategic re-architecting (e.g.\, ‘split-app’ models) to circu
 mvent rules while maintaining a market presence. Our findings suggest that
  platform policies displace rather than eliminate abusive functionality. B
 y systematically documenting how stalkerware developers navigate and subve
 rt platform governance\, we provide a nuanced understanding of their adapt
 ive capabilities\, offering critical insights for developing more robust\,
  future-proof detection and mitigation strategies.
LOCATION:Webinar &amp\; FW11\, Computer Laboratory\, William Gates Buildin
 g.
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