Users of the “Adult Player” Android app are in for a shock: it’s emerged that the Android app has been secretly taking photos of users - and wants their cash in exchange for deletion.


The Register reports that security firm Zscaler was first to spot the app, which presents itself as a normal video playing app, albeit for playing videos of an adult nature. Apparently once it has silently snapped photos of its victim it will display a message on screen demanding that they pay $500 . Otherwise, well... do you want people knowing you’ve used the app?

Apparently once the ransom message appears it will stay fixed on your phone screen, even if you reboot. Whilst no doubt highly illegal and bad and wrong, you have to admire how clever the ruse is.


But there is good news: Adult Player isn’t actually available on the Google Play store, and to use it users will have to have installed the app’s APK file manually, checking the box in settings to allow their phones to run apps from non-trusted sources. So there’s no need to be too nervous when downloading new apps to your phone. If an app was listed in the app store, apart from the fact that Google would probably stop it from being published in the first place, if it wanted to use your camera you would have to grant it explicit permission.

So let this be a lesson: If you want to let a porn app do anything to your phone, make sure you use an app that ensures that it does it, umm, explicitly.

[The Register]


Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the tech news in a different time zone. Check them out for another Giz fix.