Scott Zuckerman seeks to reverse FTC ban on his spyware activities

Scott Zuckerman, the founder of Support King, a company previously banned by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its involvement in spyware activities, is petitioning the FTC to lift or modify the 2021 ban. This ban followed a significant data breach caused by Zuckerman’s spyware subsidiary, SpyFone, which exposed thousands of private phone records to the public internet in 2018. The FTC had mandated that Zuckerman’s company maintain rigorous cybersecurity practices and undergo regular audits to prevent further breaches. Despite this ban, Zuckerman was linked to another spyware operation, SpyTrac, in 2022, further cementing his reputation as a problematic figure in the surveillance industry. His petition argues that the financial burden of compliance with the FTC’s orders has stifled his ability to grow other businesses. However, many security experts, including Eva Galperin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have voiced strong opposition, asserting that Zuckerman’s repeated breaches of trust show he should not be allowed to re-enter the surveillance market. The FTC is reviewing Zuckerman’s petition, with a final decision likely to set an important precedent for future cybersecurity enforcement.