Stalkerware - also known as spouseware - are powerful surveillance software programs typically sold openly online.
On a device, all messages can be read, screen activity recorded, GPS locations tracked and cameras used to spy on what an individual is doing.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has proposed an independent watchdog that will write a "code of practice" for tech companies.
Senior managers could be held liable for breaches, with a possible levy on the industry to fund the regulator.
The full scale of online child sexual exploitation is difficult to know.
Sites are often disguised to make them appear legal, or are hidden on the dark web, which enables people to act anonymously and untraceably online.
Smart doorbells and thermostats are an emerging trend in domestic abuse, but those working on the front line lack the tools and know-how to fight back
The number of child sexual offences with an online element has increased by nearly half in the past year, a new report has revealed.
An average of 15 sex crimes are committed against children using the internet each day in the UK, according to police figures obtained by the NSPCC through a Freedom of Information request.
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One in three internet users between the ages of 12 and 15 say they saw "hate speech" online in the past year, according to Ofcom's latest survey of children's media habits.
It is the first time the UK regulator has posed a question about the topic in its annual study.
The NSPCC charity said the finding was "very worrying", adding such posts should not be tolerated.
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