Convicted spyware maker Bryan Fleming avoids jail at sentencing

Bryan Fleming, founder of pcTattletale, pleaded guilty to federal charges for making and selling spyware and was sentenced to time served plus a $5,000 fine.

Homeland Security Investigations charged Fleming in 2025 during a broader probe of consumer-grade spyware.

A 2024 security flaw and subsequent hack exposed millions of pcTattletale screenshots and cloud files, and revealed over 138,000 paying customers.

Prosecutors had asked for no custodial sentence or fine, and Fleming’s conviction is the first successful DOJ prosecution of a spyware maker since 2014.