Find out why you shouldn't use a spy app on someone else's WhatsApp. You could be committing a crime!
As technology advances and smartphone use is in the hands of almost all Brazilians, new business opportunities have been created with the sale of courses, training and applications that offer countless conveniences, even if some are criminal.
There are some services offered in this digital market to obtain advantages and benefits, but you need to be careful and worry about the validity of some applications in the market. Read more and find out what you should avoid.
WhatsApp Spy
An example of an application to monitor someone else's WhatsApp is the one called “WhatsApp spy“. Although it may be tempting for some, the right to privacy and the protection of personal data are guaranteed by Brazilian law and the Federal Constitution, therefore users are subject to civil and criminal liability for such acts that violate privacy and personal data.
One of the apps available on the market is “Tempo do Saber” and promises to be “the spy app that monitors everything”. There is a video, which contained reduced images of women, which was allegedly accessed through a third-party smartphone on a sales page. In this case, the first statement came from a woman who said she was married to a truck driver and used an app to monitor everything her husband did on his device to prove the case of cheating. She claims that the app is “invisible”. Likewise, other people appeared in the video with similar comments.
The video then shows data: “95% of people start cheating via text message”. However, no sources of research are provided to arrive at this proportion. Another thing that draws attention is the apparent developer of the app. The video presents him as “Daniel” and the sales page presents him as “Patrick”. The sales page is hosted on Perfect Pay.
Is this a crime?
According to civil litigation specialist Mariana Ribeiro, the app does not work within the terms of the law. “If the app delivers what it promises, it will be committing a crime against the inviolable privacy that protects data and information stored on the victim's device, and this is a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution, more precisely, in article 5”, said Ribeiro.
The retail price of the app is R$ 67.00, supposedly a discount of R$ 230.00 from the original price of R$ 297.00 as described on the page. There is no further explanation as to how the app actually works, and it is also unclear whether customers will need access to the device in order to monitor it, leaving more questions than answers.
You may find typos on the sales page. Also, they offer a 7-day money-back guarantee if the app doesn't work.
However, regardless of whether it works or not, attorney Mariana Ribeiro warns that its use can cause losses to users that far exceed the amount invested in the purchase. If the intrusion causes economic losses, the penalty for the intruder can be increased by between one third and two thirds. If the intrusion results in access to personal or confidential information, the accused can face up to five years in prison and additional fines. Typically, if only a false identity is involved, the penalty is three months to one year. However, if electronic fraud is involved, it can be four to eight years. When targeting the elderly, the penalties increase by one third. It is worth remembering that the information provided through the monitoring of the application cannot be used in any legal proceedings. Therefore, it is best not to use this type of application.
