The FTC banned Support King, LLC (SpyFone) and its CEO from the surveillance business for secretly harvesting and sharing users' data without consent, and ordered the deletion of all illegally collected data and notification to affected device owners. The company failed to secure the data, leading to a hack that exposed 2,200 consumers.
The consent order bans Support King, LLC and Scott Zuckerman from offering or selling surveillance apps, requires them to delete all illegally collected data, and mandates notification to device owners about the secret monitoring.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with app developers or surveillance technology providers, as well as any customer or partner agreements where monitoring or data collection services are involved. Specific clauses to scrutinize include those governing data collection consent (ensuring explicit, informed consent is obtained), data sharing and transfer (prohibiting unauthorized sharing), security obligations (requiring robust information security programs and regular assessments), data retention and deletion (mandating timely deletion of collected data upon termination or request), breach notification (requiring prompt reporting of security incidents), and explicit prohibitions against developing, selling, or promoting surveillance or stalkerware applications. Changes may be needed to strengthen consent language, mandate independent security audits, require immediate data deletion upon order termination, and add clear bans on bypassing device security settings.
Entity
Support King, LLC
Also known as: Support King
Industry
TechnologyOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/07/ftc-seeks-comment-petition-vacate-2021-order-related-provider-stalkerware-apps
192 3003 spyfone complaint
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/192_3003_spyfone_complaint.pdf
192 3003 spyfone agreement and order without signatures 0
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/192_3003_spyfone_agreement_and_order_without_signatures_0.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Support King, LLC, which did business as SpyFone.com"
"secretly harvested and shared data on people’s physical movements, phone use, and online activities"
"without the device owner’s knowledge"
"GPS locations"
"failed to keep it secure"
The FTC finalized an order banning Support King, LLC and its CEO from the surveillance business for selling stalkerware apps that secretly collected and shared users' personal data without consent. The order requires them to delete all illegally collected data and notify affected device owners.
The FTC sent warning letters to 12 companies offering 'nudify' tools that generate nonconsensual intimate images, for failing to comply with the TAKE IT DOWN Act (TIDA) by not providing a mechanism for victims to request removal of such content. The letters urge immediate compliance with TIDA, which requires platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of a valid request. Noncompliant companies may face future legal action and civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.
The FTC began enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act on May 19, 2026, a law requiring covered platforms to establish a process for victims to request removal of nonconsensual intimate images and delete such content within 48 hours of a valid request. The agency launched a consumer complaint portal, issued compliance guidance for businesses and consumers, and sent reminder letters to major platforms including Meta, TikTok, and X about their obligations under the law. No specific penalties or enforcement actions against individual companies were announced in this release.
$6.5M
A federal court held Cliq Inc. and its executives Andrew Phillips and John Blaugrund in civil contempt for multiple violations of a 2015 FTC order requiring the payment processor to prevent enabling consumer fraud. The court found the defendants facilitated fraud by processing transactions for high-risk merchants, avoiding fraud monitoring, failing to conduct required underwriting, and ignoring chargeback thresholds. The court imposed $6.5 million in civil contempt sanctions against the defendants.
$795.8M
The FTC and State of Nevada settled charges with lead defendants of the IM Mastery Academy MLM scheme, including Chris and Isis Terry and their affiliated companies, over false earnings claims used to promote financial training programs and a multi-level marketing venture. The stipulated order imposes a $795.8 million judgment, with defendants surrendering nearly $90 million in assets including luxury real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and a yacht, totaling over $100 million with prior judgments from other involved defendants. The order also bans defendants from selling trading-training services, prohibits false earnings claims, and restricts deceptive practices including negative-option misrepresentations and telemarketing violations.
The FTC and State of Illinois, via the Department of Justice, filed a complaint against B.E.S.T. GDR LLC (d/b/a Premium Home Service) and its owner Yosef Bernath for creating thousands of fake home repair business listings with fabricated five-star reviews to deceive consumers. The defendants allegedly routed consumer calls to unqualified representatives, arranged for unlicensed technicians, and violated the FTC Act, Reviews and Testimonials Rule, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and Illinois consumer protection laws. No monetary penalty has been imposed yet as the case is in initial filing stages.