Ebay pulls out phone with with alleged pre-installed spyware.
Online retail giant Ebay has pulled out the Star N9500 handset from its website’s listings. The move comes after reports of the model being pre-installed with a spyware in its Chinese factory came out this week.
A report from a German security firm said that the Android powered Star N9500 could send personal data to a computer server in China and added that the Trojan could not be removed.
The report also stated that the spyware was veiled as a legitimate Google Play Store app. However, the handset will remain on sale on Amazon’s website, no one from Amazon offered a comment on the issue.
Ebay announced that it is rolling out the ban on a global basis. A spokesperson said, “Due to reports that some Star 9500 smartphones are loaded with spyware, eBay is not allowing the sale of these devices as a precautionary measure”.
On the other hand, the brand Star is not very popular, the handset’s appeal might have lied in the fact that it closely resembles the Samsung Galaxy S4 and also the fact that its price is half of what a Samsung phone would cost.
If the allegations made are true, it cannot be affirmed whether the manufacturer was aware of this spyware being present in the product.
Photo Credits: Mixeshop
