Is it Legal to Use Spying & Monitoring Software?

The question we hear come up the most, is evidently – “is this software legal?” There is no short answer to this question but if you want it, the answer is yes, just as long as you own the device, and the person using it is fully aware. As a parent, you can also monitor your children’s devices, and it is up to you to disclose it to them, as long as they are minors. It really is as simple as that, but if you plan to use spy apps or any type of tracking service and want to understand the basic ins and outs when it comes to the legal side of things, read on as we explain what you need to know and understand before you start.

The first thing to know is that every Country imposes their own laws regarding the subject and that these can even change from one U.S. state to another, so if you think you will be breaking the law and want to know more, you need to learn about local privacy laws to really know what charges you could face. This article is by no means proper legal advice, and is only an overview of the subject. There is also the moral factor that needs to be considered, and the reason you are seeking to use monitoring services in the first place.

Many people and businesses use this software for completely legitimate uses, such as parental control and child safety, or business phone and computer monitoring to avoid valuable asset leaks from employees and improve on productivity. But, let’s not kid ourselves, a big part of the user base constitutes married people trying to find out if their spouse is cheating or not. In fact, some vendors go as far as using this as a tactic to market directly on their website.

Service Disclaimers

You might have already seen such ads offering you to “Catch Your Cheating Spouse or Partner with Spy Application”, but remember that it’s most likely illegal where you live, and all of the companies offering tracking services, will always include a disclaimer somewhere on the website to advise that they have no responsibility towards the user if they are caught breaking any laws.

The disclaimer will advise that the company will assume no liability or responsibility for any activities perpetrated by the user that may have not followed laws in their respective country. Overall, these disclaimers all say one thing; You are solely responsible for all use, misuse, or damage caused due to using their service, and if you decide to go against local regulations, that’s your choice, but they cannot be held responsible for any of it.

So let’s face the facts present, here. If you plan to spy on your partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, or husband, you can’t possibly do it legally. Can you imagine offering a phone to your mate and advising them it’s being tracked, and that you can see everything they do on it? Didn’t think so, captain obvious! Okay, so many people will still do it, and just never reveal it so that they don’t get caught or charged with anything. They will go to the lengths of sneaking away with the phone to install the app and be done with it. We’re not here to judge, that is everyone’s own moral choice to make, but if you had any doubts, now you are aware of that the practice is most likely disallowed, almost anywhere you live.

Morals & Ethics

With all of that said, we still think that if a spying software service provider is openly promoting this use or purpose for their app, it kind of tarnishes the ethical aspect of their image. We think no legitimate business should openly promote illegal activity, which could possibly endanger their customer’s freedom, and the target’s well-being. We find it to be more appropriate to let these activities remain behind closed doors instead of openly promoted.

It is an individual choice to make that can be very difficult to understand for someone on the outside, yet seem very wrong to many nonetheless. For decades, people have hired private investigators and paid thousands of dollars to meet the same end, because if you are being cheated on and lied to on a daily basis, sometimes it’s best to know the truth in order to move on. You have to consider that if your partner is truly being unfaithful, their moral ground with you is also on shaky ground, but it may not be necessary to spy on them.

If the relationship is not salvageable, you can address the issue directly and resolve it effectively once and for all by putting it all on the table. Even if you did get such evidence, what purpose would it serve and how will you use it? Only once you have answered these questions, should you decide to move on with it or not. If you plan to divorce, for example, you must not forget that all the information you collected cannot be used in a court of law, since it was acquired illegally.

When Is It Legal To Use Spy Apps?

As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of reasons these programs are constantly developed and improved for long-standing clients that have a true need for the immense value they offer. There has been an influx of parents taking more control and utilizing the power of mobile devices for the safety of their children and family. For one, today’s parents are way more aware of the depth and openness the internet world represents, and how many dangers lurk at every corner, and kids have started using technology at much earlier stages, leaving them even more vulnerable to fall on bad content or worse, a predator. Parental controls and oversight is key to prevention and these services offer that and way more.

Beyond having a helping hand at filtering content and alerting you of any suspicious behavior, these services tap into the smartphone or tablet’s advanced technology and GPS services to offer a wide range of monitoring and tracking functions. You can know where you child is at, at all times and even better, set alerts if the device is found to exit a certain designated geographical boundary. This prevention system acts like a bodyguard, ensuring your children get home safely from school, and are never somewhere they shouldn’t be.

Various large companies and small businesses also take advantage of tracking employee cell phone and computer devices. This is a perfectly legal application of the service and is used for many benefits that could represent high value for the business owners. Employees are always made aware when working on a monitored computer or mobile device. These are commonly used in call centers, in order to record calls and ensure quality. Some need to track company vehicles to ensure they stay on route and don’t waste time on paid hours, same goes for tracking productivity and limiting time spent on Facebook or personal emails.

Larger enterprises and corporations use monitoring apps in order to prevent monetary loss in case employees decided to embark in shady practices and sell information, leak documents, plans or business strategies to competitors. The list of infractions goes on, but the risk is real and these services help cover and protect against any ill practice an employee may take that could hurt the company. With the logged information, leaks can be prevented, damage controlled and the guilty parties caught red handed.

Conclusion

It’s important to consider every involved member’s privacy and that invading someone’s private life can be damaging and immoral. The choice remains yours and if you decide to use it for different kinds of practices, maybe it’s best never to reveal it, but you’ll have to live with it forever!

But at the same time, as you can see, there are plenty of legitimate uses that are applied by real people and these services have nothing shady to hide. It’s important to know a few things to avoid any scams, such as the fact that it is not possible to remotely install this kind of software, and that many of the “free” spy software options out there are most likely fake, malfunctioning junk that end up infecting your devices with malware. We are only two reviewers on this website, but our mobile expertise have allowed us to properly put many of these services to the test, in order to help you quickly find the best ones out of the pack, so make sure to check out our reviews, to find the best cell phone spy software for your needs.