Founder of pcTattletale Pleads Guilty to Creating and Marketing Spying Software

In 2002, Bryan Fleming co-founded pcTattletale, a software designed to monitor phone and computer activity. The software recorded actions on the target device and uploaded videos to a server, accessible to the pcTattletale subscriber.

While this might seem intrusive, there are legal applications, such as parents overseeing their children’s activities or employers monitoring their workforce. These legitimate use cases were previously highlighted on the pcTattletale website, where it was claimed to have “helped tens of thousands of parents prevent dangerous meetings for their daughters” and allowed businesses to “track productivity, theft, lost hours, and more.” Notably, “police departments use it for investigations.”

This week, nearly 25 years post-launch, Fleming pled guilty in federal court to intentionally developing and promoting software aimed at surveilling adults without their permission. The software was frequently employed to spy on romantic partners without their knowledge, an activity Fleming enabled.

When you’re sleeping

The shift towards marketing pcTattletale as a tool for identifying unfaithful partners is undocumented, but after Fleming’s original partner exited the company in 2011, Fleming managed operations from his northern Detroit suburb home.

In 2021, a Vice report revealed that pcTattletale was leaking the sensitive information it gathered. Marketing materials cited in the report promoted the tool for exposing a “cheating spouse,” advising users to capture their partner’s passcode and access the phone for five minutes, ideally “when they are sleeping.” Instructions were also provided to conceal any icons that might indicate pcTattletale’s presence on the target’s phone.