The founder of pcTattletale, a U.S.-based spyware company accused of enabling illegal surveillance, has pleaded guilty to federal charges tied to hacking and the unlawful sale of monitoring software. The case marks a rare and significant victory for U.S. authorities targeting the shadowy stalkerware industry.
Bryan Fleming, the creator and operator of pcTattletale, entered his guilty plea this week in a federal court in San Diego. Prosecutors charged Fleming with computer hacking, conspiring to sell surveillance software for illegal use, and actively advertising tools designed to spy on people without consent. The plea follows a multi-year investigation that traced how pcTattletale openly promoted covert monitoring of phones and computers.
Federal investigators said Fleming ran pcTattletale for years while marketing the software to consumers who wanted to secretly track romantic partners and spouses. Such activity violates U.S. law and privacy protections in many other countries. Unlike parental control tools or corporate monitoring systems, pcTattletale was designed for stealth and deception, according to court records.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, a division within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Agents began examining pcTattletale in mid-2021 while reviewing more than 100 consumer surveillance websites as part of a broader crackdown on stalkerware. Officials said pcTattletale stood out because it explicitly encouraged spying on unsuspecting adults.
This prosecution is the first successful federal case against a stalkerware operator in over ten years. The last similar case involved the creator of StealthGenie, who pleaded guilty in 2014. Legal experts say Fleming’s conviction could open the door to more cases against spyware developers and even marketers who promote such tools.
pcTattletale functioned as a remote monitoring app that required physical access to a victim’s device for installation. Once installed, the spyware quietly copied messages, photos, keystrokes, and location data, then uploaded that information to company-controlled servers. The person who planted the spyware could access the data without the victim ever knowing.
Authorities said Fleming controlled the company from at least 2016. Unlike many spyware operators who hide behind shell companies or foreign jurisdictions, Fleming was based in the United States and publicly associated himself with the product. Investigators cited YouTube videos in which Fleming openly promoted pcTattletale from his own home.
That visibility ultimately worked against him. Court documents show that HSI agents secured access to Fleming’s email accounts in 2022. Those emails allegedly revealed direct assistance to customers who wanted to spy on adults without consent. Investigators also went undercover, posing as affiliate marketers to gather additional evidence of illegal advertising.
In one exchange, Fleming provided promotional materials that framed pcTattletale as a way to “catch a cheater.” Prosecutors said that messaging made clear the intended unlawful use of the spyware. A judge later authorized a search of Fleming’s Michigan home, where agents seized evidence tied to the operation.
Financial records also played a key role. Authorities obtained banking and PayPal records showing more than $600,000 in transactions linked to pcTattletale by the end of 2021. Investigators believed the evidence was strong enough that they initially sealed the warrant to prevent destruction of data.
pcTattletale shut down in 2024 after suffering a major data breach. A hacker defaced the company’s website and stole large volumes of sensitive data belonging to both customers and their victims. Details of more than 138,000 accounts were later shared with breach notification service Have I Been Pwned, exposing the scale of the spyware operation.
At the time, Fleming claimed the business was finished and said he had wiped pcTattletale’s servers. Despite that statement, federal investigators were already deep into their case. Public records show Fleming later sold his home for $1.2 million, after it had been searched by agents.
Privacy advocates welcomed the guilty plea as a long-overdue step toward accountability. Eva Galperin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation said the case highlights how openly stalkerware companies have operated for years. Galperin, who has long campaigned against spyware abuse, said the lack of consequences allowed such businesses to thrive in plain sight.
Eva Galperin noted that Fleming’s case could finally shift the risk calculation for spyware makers. She said the conviction sends a clear message that selling tools designed for secret surveillance can carry serious criminal consequences.
Fleming now awaits sentencing, which is expected later this year. Legal observers say the outcome could influence how aggressively U.S. authorities pursue other spyware vendors still operating online. Investigators have already confirmed that pcTattletale is only one of several stalkerware sites under active review.
As digital privacy concerns grow, the case underscores a broader warning. Software built to secretly monitor people does not exist in a legal gray area when it targets non-consenting adults. For years, stalkerware companies blurred that line. With this guilty plea, federal prosecutors have signaled that the era of unchecked spyware may be coming to an end.
