Anti-surveillance app for Android

Abstract

The widespread use of smart phones and apps with extensive access rights has left businesses vulnerable to a whole new range of attacks. Seemingly legit apps can activate the microphone or camera and during meetings or situations where sensitive information is discussed. Both users and businesses are left with few tools to ensure that no such recording can take place.This assignment will develop an anti-surveillance app to let users and businesses control access to audio and video recordings at any given point. That is, to allow users to have a range of applications on the device but at the same time be able review and/or stop apps with audio/video recording whenever that is necessary (e.g. while discussing sensitive information in a meeting). To this end the app will be able to 1. List all currently running apps that have access to audio/video recording (i.e. that potentially could be running surveillance). 2. Warn the user whenever background services are actively recording audio/video. 3. At the user discretion, close applications that either potentially can record or are actively recording audio/video. Different avenues of automation shall also be explored, so as to relieve the user of the effort in monitoring running applications and provide organisations the ability to remotely enforce a security policy.