One of the first evidence of a new app for smart phones to track our loved ones being referred to as Spouseware was from this article in 2007 (http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1077909). Ironic because the very first iPhone was released in 2007, so not far after that did people start thinking of ways to track people with them. Spouseware is a type of Spyware which can remotely track an individual.
Spyware is typically done by unknown persons/entities (hackers, foreign actors) compared to Spouseware which is an app that is installed physically and willingly through an authenticated and authenticated account, but by something else masquerading for nefarious reasons.
Here are a list of tell-tale signs if your phone is compromised:
Your partner frequently asks to see your computer or cell
phone, or takes it.
Your partner demands passwords to your computer or cell
phone.
Your partner wants login information for your email,
banking, shopping, or social media accounts.
Your partner is known to be "good with computers"
and handles your computer tasks.
Your partner gives you devices that they've set-up for you.
Your partner spends a significant amount of time on their
computer and is unusually secretive about it.
Your partner makes vague references to activities or
conversations they were not present for.
Your partner gets unexpectedly angry towards a person you've
recently communicated with.
Your partner threatens to reveal embarrassing information
about you.
(source - https://hackblossom.org/domestic-violence/threats/monitoring.html)
So if your spouse has this kind of access to your phone, then I'm guessing your relationship is good enough to not worry about hiding photos, texts, etc.
What I'm more interested in is the ability to remotely install apps without physical access. Spouseware is obviously a form of spyware which can remotely track communications, location, activity, etc. The risk to our nation is very low as it pertains to tracking each others spouses, but could be very high if this kind of spyware can be remotely installed to other high-value targets such as senior intelligence officials, leaders of industry, politicians, or perhaps even nation-state spies working covertly.
Spouseware can be installed many different ways, but based on the articles above typically requires physical access to the device. Malwarebytes also can be disguised as antivirus as reported here: https://blog.malwarebytes.com/threat-analysis/2016/08/unpacking-the-spyware-disguised-as-antivirus/
Motherboard lists popular Spouseware apps and how to discover if your phone has them installed here: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/bjepkm/how-to-tell-if-partner-is-spying-on-your-phone-stalkerware
Probably the best way to identify Spouseware is to backup your data and reinstall your operating system. But if you are really that suspicious if spouseware is installed on your mobile device, perhaps you should be focusing more on your marriage than defending your privacy against them.
