Cell snooping program Motorola

I wouldn't trust phones made by any of these companies — for all I know, they could be sending my personal information back to a server in China, or contain glaring security flaws that could let an attacker easily hijack the phone or add malware.

7 of the best antivirus software for Android smartphones and tablets

We've reviewed a couple of its phones and liked them. But most of BLU's phones are actually rebadged versions of phones made by Gionee, which is one of the bigger Chinese device makers you've never heard of. BLU argued against Amazon suspending sales of its devices earlier this week, which was done due to spyware concerns.

It's debatable whether collecting and transmitting your phone's location data and device information — such as phone number, serial number, SIM card ID and other uniquely identifying information — constitutes spying. After all, that's the same information that your cellular carrier collects as part of its business in order to keep your device running. We believe BLU when its representatives tell us that the company's phones are no longer collecting personal data and that BLU won't switch the feature back on in the future. Amazon clearly believes BLU too, because the retail giant is selling the phones again.

And we like that BLU, unlike most of the direct-from-China retailers, has a toll-free support number you can call if anything goes wrong. Despite assurances from BLU and other companies that they can be trusted, you should still be skeptical of any brand you haven't heard of before, even when you're lured in by that cheap price. But it makes little difference to the consumer.

But if you don't want to worry about your phone's security, or your privacy, then stick to the better-known brands.

7 of the best antivirus software for Android smartphones and tablets

The specs on these devices may not be as good as what you'll get from the no-name brands, but at least you'll know what you're getting. Tom's Guide.

Illustration: Tom's Guide The fact is that many low-priced Android smartphones have had security and privacy problems. Whom Can You Trust? Topics Android.

See all comments 1. Google's Android system already tracks any and all data and location on phone.

• spy Kik for iOS.
• location where a cell is iPhone 11;
• FlexiSPY Works On All Devices.
• 7 of the best antivirus software for Android smartphones and tablets!
• 2. Norton Mobile Security.
• Remotely Eavesdropping on Cell Phone Microphones.

Case in point, with latest security updates Google, even when data share permissions shut off, wifi not connected, is constantly asking me to share photo moments or ratings as a i drive by businesses. Highly intrusive. Privacy is a thing of the past. Remember, tracking software can take up a lot of resources. These are working in the background, running your GPS and doing other things… sometimes all the time. A tracking app will often try to update the attacker constantly.

This means it will need data… and plenty of it. Are you noticing unusual usage of your data pool? A possible attack could be the reason why this is happening. This is especially bad due to the prices tiered data plan users have to pay these days. And even unlimited data subscribers often get throttled after using a certain amount of data. Is your phone getting a little too hot?

One Click Root

If you are noticing unusual temperatures on your handset, you should keep an eye open. We are not talking about paranormal activity… though sometimes it may seem like it. Sometimes phones that are being spied on make weird noises during calls. This could include white noise, beeping or simple echoing.

Tips, Tricks & Articles

Are you getting some weird text messages? Maybe ones with a bunch of letters and numbers that seem to be code. Maybe just random talk from unknown numbers. They can be anything, really. Attackers often use these to communicate with the device and give it a command. If an attacker needs your location, for example, he can request it by sending you a message with a pre-determined code. Have you noticed some weird apps showing up out of nowhere?

This could be due to malware or spyware, which can often download and install apps on your smartphone without any approval. The Google Play Store does its best to keep you secure, and does a pretty good job at it, but remember we are Android users. We can easily install 3rd-party apps and be at risk of intrusion. Some users need more freedom, and they can get it. Owning a rooted phone is certainly a plus to some of us, but you may want to think twice about buying a rooted used handset.

Root users have the ability to dig into the system and modify the code. This could make it very hard to combat spyware. Remember Avast! Mobile Security? They could install their phone tracking software straight into the system files, making their solution survive even factory data resets. Do you believe your phone has been bugged? The first step is always to try and manually find any suspicious files or applications. It could be disguised as something else.