The HCM City People’s Court on Monday sentenced Huynh Ngoc Den to four years in prison for illegally accessing computer networks, telecommunication networks, internet and digital devices of others.

Huynh Ngoc Den is sentenced to four years in prison for illegally accessing computer networks, telecommunication networks, internet and digital devices of others. — Photo dantri.com

According to the indictment, in 2013, Den, who was born in 1982 in central Bình Định Province, found out on the Internet advertising for tracking software, eavesdropping, phone management.

He bought the software and installed it on his phone to use. While using the software, he discovered it could be used in various ways and decided to trade the software which he namded “Copyphone.”

In December 2014, Den established an individual company and created various websites to post ads on software installation instructions for customers.

Through these ads, many customers who wanted to buy the "Copyphone" software could download the link on the website killermobile.com and pay for the software.

The customer installed the eavesdropping software on the phone for various purposes to retrieve data on personal account information.

The accusation also identified the identity of dozens of women and men who bought the software and had it installed on their spouses’ phones to follow up on suspicions of adultery. However, the police did not have sufficient grounds to deal with these people harshly, and could only fine them.

The court judged the defendant’s behaviour had infringed upon the privacy, personal secrecy and the right to confidentiality of correspondence, telephone and telegraph.

However, it was merely for trading purpose and the defendant had voluntarily returned all illegal profits.

The court, therefore, decided to sentence the defendant to four years in prison.—VNS