Legal keylogger?

Hello, everyone! One of my friends asked me to have a keylogger in my computer to monitor her son. She wants to know what her son is doing online all day long. But she was afraid to be detected by his son since she isn’t good at computer. My friend thought it would be safer to install it in my computer and I just told her about the kid’s “bad” or improper behaviors online. I can understand her but I wonder if it’s legal to do this. Because the future is difficult to be predict. Is it safe to install this Spy software ? What can I do now to avoid any problem in the future? I couldn’t find any related information. Any advice will be appreciated.

It's legal to instal spy software on your own computer to detect anyone who uses that computer.
It's also legal to put it on other computers, but only in certain situations including but not limited to:
* A Webmaster using it on a Website for traffic tracking and advertizment displays.
* Admininastrating a bulitan board to enforce forum rules (IP tracking) and enhance experiance.
* A boss overseeing a company (usually on networked computers).
* Detective work and online dating.
* Family trees and school reunions.
* Popup, Flash, and Java ads.
* A virus and security hole checker.

It's morally wrong to use it on other computers (including other states) even if it's legal (may not be legal in Europe).

Please forgive the spelling above, I forgot to check my work.

camile wrote:Hello, everyone! One of my friends asked me to have a keylogger in my computer to monitor her son. She wants to know what her son is doing online all day long. But she was afraid to be detected by his son since she isn’t good at computer. My friend thought it would be safer to install it in my computer and I just told her about the kid’s “bad” or improper behaviors online. I can understand her but I wonder if it’s legal to do this. Because the future is difficult to be predict. Is it safe to install this Spy software ? What can I do now to avoid any problem in the future? I couldn’t find any related information. Any advice will be appreciated.

He's not your son, so don't tempt the law if he's not family.
If you are using it for the above situations, that is perfectly fine.

If it's legal to sell it, it's legal to use it, but I wouldn't distribute copies of it if I were you.

Sorry for the multiple posts, but a guest can't edit.

I forgot the most important uses:
FBI
NSA/CIA
Cops and judges
Pedo and criminal catchers
NASA and military
KGB and other government spies

Thank you for your kindness! Arti! I know it will be a little complicated but I have to help her because she is my friend! Hope everything fine with us!

just to tell you, if he has ANY semi-advanced computer knowledge, he could easily find a software keylogger.
you may need to find o make a hardware keylogger.
alternately, some internet browsers have parental controls, and some companies sell software that is installed, and sends e-mail of websites visited to the chosen e-mail address.
a list of websites may be much easier to deal with than the long keystring results from a logger.
hope this helps.

Camile wants to record activities, not block sites.
I don't trust online companies to do it for me.

Some things on a keylogger wouldn't be hard for an experienced hacker, but it's too difficult to undo all recordings.
For example, some keylogers have an outgoing IM/PM reader (not hard to disable) while others have an outgoing and incoming IM/PM reader (too hard to disable).
The outgoing and incoming IM/PM reader is an invasion of privacy on the second party's part, like listening in on a private phone conversation.

Camile, have you bought one yet?
There are some parent friendly ones out there that are made to block porn sites, but record forum and chatroom conversations and E-mail as well.

I say legal because your friend can install it on her computer (running in the background), set up to E-mail her son's keystrokes to you.
This is more like handing your house key to a neighbor before going on vacation (she is consenting for you to use it).

Hey! Arti! Thank you for your kindness. After our discussion. We bought the keylogger at last. You are right. We want to record rather than block. So it's not that terrible. And at present, everything is under control! Thanks again!

Arti wrote:It's legal to instal spy software on your own computer to detect anyone who uses that computer.
It's also legal to put it on other computers, but only in certain situations including but not limited to:
* A Webmaster using it on a Website for traffic tracking and advertizement displays.
* Administrating a bulletin board to enforce forum rules (IP tracking) and enhance experience.
* A boss overseeing a company (usually on networked computers).
* Detective work and online dating.
* Family trees and school reunions.
* Popup, Flash, and Java ads.
* A virus and security hole checker.

I don't know how the law looks now.
Legal snooping (advertizement profiling) and "calling home" technology (such as media player caches) combined with keystroke Trojans, might be considered a warrantless (non consent) search and seizure which was just ruled unconstitutional.

2/2/12

It's worth looking into next year to see if you are breaking the law.
OPEN is a bill that includes the requirement of your friend's son to know that you are recording his actions, the specific places on the Web, date, and time you are doing this, and requires an option for him to shut it off whenever he wants, like a TV show you don't like.

On the other hand, it may be illegal to own one at all then (they're still making amendments).