The Dark Side of Parental Control Apps

Background

With the prevalence of smartphones and the Internet, security concerns regarding online activities are increasing.

There are apps being developed and serviced that allow users to monitor and control smartphones remotely, for protecting family members and acquaintances who are not familiar with using smartphones, such as children and senior family members.

In particular, during the investigation of the recent ‘Daejeon elementary school student murder case,’ it was revealed that the monitoring app installed by the parents on the victim child’s smartphone—specifically its features such as ambient sound recording and location tracking—provided many clues for the police investigation. As a result, the number of parents installing monitoring apps to ensure their children’s safety has increased.

However, there are also cases where parental control apps are used not for children but to monitor a spouse’s infidelity.

As the app monitors all information stored on the device, incidents related to privacy breach continue to occur. For example, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency recently arrested a suspect for violating the Protection of Communications Secrets Act by illegally storing the victim’s personal information while disguising their app as a parental control app.

 

 

App Distribution Method

For monitoring apps, they are distributed on the official app store, Google Play Store, or on a website created by the developer.

 

Figure 1. Search results for “parental control app” on Google Play Store

Figure 2. Parental control app distribute via private websites

 

 

When uploading a child protection app to Google Play Store, the following regulations must be met.

 

1. Google Play Developer Policy

– Comply with policies related to apps for children or family content

– Restrict in-app ads and purchases for child protection, and match the ad rating to the app content rating. – Specify which permissions the included SDKs require and how they process data.

 

2. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA ) 

– Apps that are available in the United States are required to comply with regulations related to the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information of children under 13 years of age. 

– Parental consent is required when an app collects or processes data from children. – The data processing methods must be transparent.

3. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR )
– For apps that are operated in Europe, the GDPR requires parental consent for the processing of children’s personal information and follows the principle of data minimization.
– Apps must clearly disclose their privacy policies and securely manage their data.
– Personal Information Protection Act and Information and Communication Network Act
– Compliance is required for apps operated in Korea

Due to various complex factors, such as the procedural complexity of uploading parental control apps to app stores, developers often provide APK files for download directly through their own websites, along with installation guides.

 

Figure 3. Registration and installation method

 

 

App Features

Monitoring apps require various permissions to closely observe a user’s smartphone activities.

Type	Permission	Purpose	Using Child Protection Apps
Network	ACCESS_WIFI_STATE ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE	Check Wi-Fi and network connection	Check Internet connection, and set app usage restriction conditions
	ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION	GPS-based and network-based location tracking	Real-time location tracking and location-based alert setting
Camera and audio	CAMERA	Camera Access	Monitoring photo taking and video calls
	RECORD_AUDIO CAPTURE_AUDIO_OUTPUT CAPTURE_AUDIO_HOTWORD	Record Audio and Capture	Record ambient sound
	MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS	Change Audio Settings	Prevention of silent mode
Call and Message	READ_PHONE_STATE READ_PRIVILEGED_PHONE_STATE	Check Phone Status and SIM Information	Check carrier information and call
	CALL_PHONE PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS WRITE_CALL_LOG READ_CALL_LOG	Access Phone and Call Logs	Monitor incoming/outgoing calls, and time limit for calls
	RECEIVE_SMS READ_SMS WRITE_SMS	Receiving, Reading, and Writing Messages	Blocking and monitoring messages
Access to Storage and Files	READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE	External Storage Access	Monitor and restrict contents such as photos, videos, and documents
	MOUNT_FORMAT_FILESYSTEMS	Format storage	Reset storage
App and System Status	GET_TASKS PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS	Check Info About Running Apps	Track app usage
	SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW	Display popup on screen	Display warning message and app block notification
	RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED BOOT_COMPLETED	Run at Startup	App activation
	KILL_BACKGROUND_PROCESSES	Stop Background Apps	Force stop malicious apps
	CHANGE_COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE	Activate/Deactivate App Features	Restrict specific app features
Account and Authentication	GET_ACCOUNTS	Access Device Account List	Check child’s account activity and monitor account changes
	BIND_GET_INSTALL_REFERRER_SERVICE	Check App Installation Source	Trace app installation path
Other Permissions	FOREGROUND_SERVICE	Run in the background	Keep the app running and prevent it from being terminated
	REQUEST_IGNORE_BATTERY_OPTIMIZATIONS	Battery Optimization Ignored	App operates normally in power saving mode
	WRITE_APN_SETTINGS	Changing Network Settings	Data block
	com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE	Receive push notifications	Sync with the parent app for real-time alerts
	com.google.android.finsky.permission. BIND_GET_INSTALL_REFERRER_SERVICE	Check App Installation Source	Track app installation path, detect installation of malicious apps

Table 1. Monitoring app permissions and purposes of child protection app

 

 

App Promotion Method

In the case of child protection apps, operators recruit users not only through their personal websites but also through social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, blogs, and online communities.

It advertises that it provides various features to recruit as many users as possible.

 

Figure 4. Promotion on social media

 

 

In general, parental control apps are described as security features that protect children instead of adults.

However, in the case of apps that are unclearly developed, although they are advertised as child protection apps, the ad content includes provocative words such as adultery, divorce, adult entertainment bars, luxury goods, wiretapping devices, Viagra, and extramarital affairs, suggesting that they are not just for child protection but also for monitoring adults.

 

Figure 5. Protection of Minors

Figure 6. Available to be used for other targets besides children

 

 

Scenario

The user is shown how to install administrator and surveillance apps via websites or messengers and how to bypass vaccine detections.

The user then installs the surveillance app on the device, collects data on surveillance target items, stores them in the database within the server, and sends them to the surveillance subject.

While it is common for websites and apps to specify what data they collect and how they are managed, this is not always the case.

 

Figure 7. Scenario of using a protection app

 

 

Protecting the Device

In the case of an unknown child protection app, the following features are included to prevent users from deleting the app.

   1. Hiding the app icon

   2. Changing the app icon to that of a legitimate app (e.g. Chrome, Google Play)

   3. Moving to the home screen when the app is deleted

 

In the case of a legitimate child protection app, it usually hides the app or changes the icon to a different one, and requires additional authentication such as an authentication code when the app is deleted.

However, the protection app is designed to prevent users from deleting the app, making it very difficult for users to realize that the app has been installed without their knowledge.

Furthermore, it provides bypass methods to evade antivirus app detection, preventing the protection app from being deleted.

 

Figure 8. Guide to bypassing the parental control app

 

If the app is already installed, install a mobile security app and perform regular scans, or factory reset the device.

 

 

Conclusion

The purpose of parental control apps is highly desirable as it is a method to enhance security for those who are not familiar with smartphones.

However, various types of obscure monitoring apps continue to be discovered.

Our company classifies such obscure monitoring apps as the AppCare type, such as “AppCare/Android.KidLogger” and “AppCare/Android.Manamgeri”, as we have determined that these apps are being used for purposes other than their original intent and are accessing various types of personal information.

Smartphone users are advised to carefully review and verify the information such as the personal data collected and managed by the service provider, user reviews, and developer information before installing parental control apps.

Furthermore, most monitoring apps have implemented all the features required by malicious app developers, so there is a possibility that threat actors may modify legitimate apps and distribute them through phishing sites.

To prevent this, it is recommended to use a mobile security app and perform regular scans.

 

 

Reference

1. “Necessary for Safety” vs. “Concerns of Invasion of Privacy”… Mixed Reactions on Child Protection Apps (2025.02.11) [Chosun Ilbo]
– https://www.chosun.com/national/national_general/2025/02/11/MTEH5VU5E5GOXBAAR6HVIQZEDM/

2. Hundreds of Women Downloaded Spy Apps to Monitor Their Husbands’ Phones and Found Out Their Secrets (2025.07.22) [Joongang Ilbo]
– https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25353346

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