Ghost Apps… What Are Our Kids hiding?

The days of putting a filter or blocking software on our kids computers and trusting the software to do the work of protecting the device are gone. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for software like x3 Watch, Covenant Eyes, and other types of blocking/accountability software. But the idea of adding the software or an app to a device and it protecting everything, giving us as parents the opportunity relax, is no longer an option.

Over the next several weeks, we will be sharing information about apps to be looking for on your child or teens device. In December, we will share a series about the ways kids are getting around all of the parental controls we can put in place. We encourage you to share this information with your friends, families and schools. It will take all of us to provide hope for our kids.

Are you familiar with ghost apps? Ghost apps allow anyone using the app to hide videos, photos, texts and GPS locations in plain sight. The apps even have a built-in browser to get around the standard device web browser. Ghost apps are disguised as ordinary apps, typical calculators or other types of apps typically found on a smart device.

Here  are a few examples of Ghost Apps and the dangers of the app:

SECRET CALCULATOR

SECRET FOLDER

SECRET PIANO

1) Secret Piano/Secret Folder/Secret Calculator – Multiple apps from the same company that is similar to Calculator%, but with more options:

• Hidden photos, video, notes, text, contacts, passwords, to-do lists and locations.

• Secret message encoder and decoder to translate the message into a code

• Messaging in the app works with SMS text, Facetime and email

• Ability to add photos and video without logging into the app

• Decoy mode: Reverse enter the password

• Self-destruction mode: 5 failed log-in attempts and the information is destroyed

• Panic mode: Shake, flip or turn the device down to automatically switch to another app

2) Calculator% – The app looks like a calculator, even operates as a calculator. But when a code is entered through the calculator keypad, you can unlock access to the following:

• Hidden photos and video

• Web browser without showing the history in Safari

• Recording of intruders(parents) trying to determine the unlock code. A date stamp, GPS location and photo are taken when the “intruder” tried to break-in to the app.

• Content can be transferred between devices

During a recent Parent Night on Pornography, the dangers of ghost apps was discussed. Please watch the video for more information.

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