The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) collaborated with AV-Comparatives to evaluate Android antivirus software for their ability to detect stalkerware in 2025. The results reveal varied detection success among major antivirus applications.
Detection Rates and Trends
According to the study, Malwarebytes achieved a 100% detection rate of stalkerware samples. ESET, Bitdefender, McAfee, and Kaspersky detected all but one sample, a notable improvement since 2021, when only one product reached full success and others managed 80-85%.
Conversely, Google Play Protect and Trend Micro had the lowest detection rates, at 53% and 59% respectively. This weak performance is partly due to some stalkerware apps having instructions to disable Google Play Protect, the default on many Android devices.
Market and Product Trends
The market for stalkerware appears to be shrinking. In 2025, AV-Comparatives identified 17 unique stalkerware products, compared to 20 in previous years, largely due to product variations. The rise of small Bluetooth trackers like Apple AirTags and Tiles might be reducing stalkerware demand.
Implications for Consumer Choice
EFF anticipates these findings will guide those concerned about stalkerware, including domestic abuse survivors, to select more effective antivirus solutions. The organization also hopes it will pressure antivirus developers to enhance their detection capabilities. AV-Comparatives has made the full report available as a PDF.
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