Business · Wired
Men Are Buying Hacking Tools to Deploy Against Their Wives and Friends
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◌ Single Source
Thousands of men are members of Telegram groups and channels that advertise and sell hacking and surveillance services that can be used to harass friends, wives and girlfriends, and former partners, new research has uncovered.
Key facts
- Over six weeks earlier this year, researchers at the algorithmic auditing group AI Forensics analyzed nearly 2.8 million messages sent across 16 Italian and Spanish Telegram communities
- More than 24,000 members of the Telegram groups and channels took part in posting 82,723 images, videos, and audio files over the course of the study, the analysis says
- Across the dataset there were more than 18,000 references to spying or spy content
- One post reads: “Hi, do you have the desire to spy on a girl's gallery
Summary
Over six weeks earlier this year, researchers at the algorithmic auditing group AI Forensics analyzed nearly 2.8 million messages sent across 16 Italian and Spanish Telegram communities that are regularly posting abusive content targeting women and girls.
A Telegram spokesperson tells WIRED that the company removes “millions” of pieces of content per day using “custom AI tools” and has policies in Europe that do not allow the promotion of violence, illegal sexual content including nonconsensual imagery, and other content such as doxing and selling illegal goods and services.