China has an app that helps loan sharks track debtors
Police say the tracking app for debtors illegally collects data from chat apps
The best advice for dealing with loan sharks is, well, don’t. But if you’re already in over your head you might want to ditch your phone.
Chinese police have uncovered an app that illegally collects location data to help debt collectors track down their debtors. The app, called App Detective, was frighteningly cheap and easy to use: Download it, register, and pay a minimum of 15 US cents to find the person who owes you money. (The leg breaking part is up to you.)
We don’t know exactly how it works, but a preliminary police investigation found that App Detective collects real-time location data from mainstream chat apps.
According to Chinese law, obtaining the location of users is not allowed without permission (except in certain legal situations).
“Deadbeat Map” shows which people around you are on a financial blacklist
That’s not the only issue. It’s not that hard to find apps that can track down your location perfectly legally without your knowledge.
The App Detective, however, seems to have been popular in more, uh, professional settings. The app was not only used among individuals, but also 80 investigative and debt collecting companies for tracking targets. More sophisticated types of tracking across multiple chat apps could cost around US$15. By the time this case was publicized, the app had 4,000 registered users and made more than US$59,000.
For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.