# can I spy on another computer user in my home network? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011 "2004-10-25T06:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/1 "2004-10-25T06:33:27Z")
Legal disclaimer: the user is a minor, and is my dependent at that. We have two computers on a wireless home network - can I use “mine” to spy on/intercept outgoing e-mails and IM conversations on “theirs”? How? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/2 "2004-10-25T06:50:30Z")
Do you want to spy in real time or do you want logs to browse later? For the former, you’ll want something like VNC; for the latter you’ll want some sort of proxy server software. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/3 "2004-10-25T07:04:28Z")
Real-time would be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/4 "2004-10-25T09:59:22Z")
There’s a program called Hidden Camera. Here’s the description: > [@](#): > > Oleansoft > Hidden Camera 2.7 > October-4-2004 > > About Hidden Camera software > > Software Hidden Camera is intended for observation over computers in a local network or via Internet with or without recording. You can observe up to 50 computers simultaneously in real-time mode. The product makes screenshots of the PCs monitors (full screen or active window) and saves them with intervals of 5 to 3600 seconds into an archive that may checked any time you wish. Each screenshot may be saved as a graphic file and printed out. The full-screen mode allows for you to feel as if you are sitting in front of the monitor you observe. Split-screen mode is supported (4, 9, 16 screens simultaneously). Also, you can send any text messages to employees. Autostart mode for the cameras is supported. Password protection for safety is supported. You can download it from here: [http://www.oleansoft.com/download.htm](http://www.oleansoft.com/download.htm) ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/5 "2004-10-25T14:12:52Z")
My partner and i have [UltraVNC](http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/) on our home computers. We use it for transferring files from one to another, but it should also allow you to view your kids’ computer/s in real time. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/6 "2004-10-25T14:49:44Z")
\ I assume you are well within your legal right to do this, but you should also consider alternative methods of handling a potential problem before you resort to spying on your kid. If he or she finds out that you’ve betrayed their trust, you should be prepared to handle the damage to the relationship that will inevitably come thereafter. \ ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/7 "2004-10-25T15:32:04Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > \ > > I assume you are well within your legal right to do this, but you should also consider alternative methods of handling a potential problem before you resort to spying on your kid. If he or she finds out that you’ve betrayed their trust, you should be prepared to handle the damage to the relationship that will inevitably come thereafter. > > \ I am not a lawyer, but now that I think of it, the legality of spying your kid is iffy. Your employee can do that on you, but it has to be clearly stated in the company’s security/accepted practice policy. I don’t know if this could apply in parent/kid relations. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/8 "2004-10-25T17:04:27Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > \ > > I assume you are well within your legal right to do this, but you should also consider alternative methods of handling a potential problem before you resort to spying on your kid. If he or she finds out that you’ve betrayed their trust, you should be prepared to handle the damage to the relationship that will inevitably come thereafter. > > \ I am not a lawyer, nor am I a parent but spying on a minor child’s computer activity is no different than reading his/her diary. Most parents that “spy” on their children, do so out of concern for the safety of the child. I am going to venture to guess that the Op feels that his/her child could be checking out questionable websites already or my fall prey to an internet predator. Freejockey, depending on hour savy your child is and has not thought of deleting it, you can check the Temporay Internet Files folder for sites visited. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/9 "2004-10-25T17:36:08Z")
Googling “email parental controls” finds about 162,000 pages. I haven’t actually perused the sites themselves. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/10 "2004-10-25T18:10:07Z")
> [@The Chao Goes Mu](#): > > I am not a lawyer, nor am I a parent but spying on a minor child’s computer activity is no different than reading his/her diary. I agree. I disapprove of both, under ordinary circumstances. > [@](#): > > Most parents that “spy” on their children, do so out of concern for the safety of the child. I am going to venture to guess that the Op feels that his/her child could be checking out questionable websites already or my fall prey to an internet predator. An understandable motive. The point of my post was to point out that the OP should consider all possible alternatives that do not involve violating the child’s trust. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-spy-on-another-computer-user-in-my-home-network/271011/13 "2013-04-10T02:39:04Z")
Bear also in mind that the minor is probably not a minor any more, and the OP has been banned sometime in the past nine years.