Italian Spyware Helps Hack Apple and Android Phones

Google said Italian hacking tools were used to spy on Apple and Android smartphones in Italy and Kazakhstan.

Milan-based RCS Lab has developed tools to spy on the personal messages and contacts of target devices, Google said in a report. The company is a maker of "lawful interception" technologies and services, including voice communications, data collection and "tracking systems". The company claims it handles 10,000 intercepted targets every day in Europe alone.

Google's findings on RCS Lab comes at a time when European and US regulators are discussing potential new rules for the sale and importation of spyware.

RCS Lab said its products and services assist law enforcement agencies in investigating a crime and comply with European regulations.

For its part, Google said it had taken steps to protect users of its Android operating system and warned them about spyware.