Chen Guangcheng, a blind Chinese dissident and his family were unaware that they were being spied on through a Smartphone and an iPad that were given to him as presents from supporters when he arrived at the New York University to pursue a fellowship. NYU technicians found malware in the gadgets deployed to track Guangcheng's Internet activity.

According to Jerome Cohen, an NYU professor who helped arrange his fellowship, Guangcheng received several gifts from loyalists including multiple Smartphones and an iPad when he came to stay at the university. Spyware was detected in an iPad and a Smartphone.

One of the first visitors to Guangcheng's apartment was Heidi Cai, the wife of activist Bob Fu, who gave an iPad and an iPhone to the family, as a token of appreciation. University technicians examined the devices a few days later and discovered that it was loaded with hidden spying software that allows a third party to secretly connect to an inbuilt Global Positioning System (GPS) that converts a gadget into a tracking device, relying on information including location of the device, and probably its owner.

The technicians also found hidden, password-protected software that copied its contents to a remote server. After removing the spyware, technicians returned the Apple devices to the family.

Apart from Cai's gifts, there were at least three other electronic devices, presumably two other phones, given to Guangcheng's family during their first few days in New York. The devices which are claimed to have similar software were not given back to them.

"These people supposedly were out to help him and they give him a kind of Trojan horse that would have enabled them to monitor his communications secretly," said Cohen. "It's perfectly consistent with their desire to manipulate and control the situation and know whatever confidential advice he is getting."

Fu, who heads a Texas-based Christian group called ChinaAid, rubbished all the allegations and called them 'ridiculous' and 'a 007 thing.' ChinaAid supports underground churches in China and victims of forced abortions.

"This is the first time I've heard of spyware," said Fu."We knew that the first thing after they arrived, they'd want to call their family members, so we wanted to provide communication devices, iPhone and iPad."

"My staffer is 100 percent sure that the only thing he added on the iPad was a Skype account - the activation of the iPad and iPhone, basic installment, iCloud... there was nothing else there. They have to provide evidence," Fu claimed.

"Everything was transparent. There was nothing hidden," he added.

Fu's wife claims to have handed over the Apple devices to an assistant of Cohen. Fu stated that the spyware could have been installed after his wife handed it over to the assistant and before they were presented to the family. There was a one-day gap.

"More than anyone else, we want to get to the bottom of this," Fu said, adding that he had asked the F.B.I. to look into the matter. "We will fully cooperate with any investigation and hope N.Y.U. will do the same."

The latest incident does little to calm the protests between NYU and Guangcheng's supporters.

Last weekend, Guangcheng claimed that he and his family were being forced to leave because the University fears that his presence and activism might harm the institute's relationship with China and threaten its academic cooperation. He also claims that the management succumbed to the Chinese government's pressure. The university was 'puzzled and saddened' by the accusations and denied playing any role in Guangcheng's departure from the university.

The university explained that Guangcheng's law school fellowship was valid only for a year. The fellowship's end "had nothing to do with the Chinese government - all fellowships come to an end," John Beckman, a university spokesman, said.