@apj101
here:-
Are keyloggers legal?
About once a day, I’m asked by our customers if keyloggers are legal. We even added this question to our FAQ base, however, the questions keep coming and even after they are replied by authorized attorneys, they still raise dispute on the Internet.
Being the part of
Security Software Development team, I can tell you for sure: Keylogger is a completely legal monitoring tool.
Here’s what the
TopTenReviews.com staff says: “Even though an individual may be using a keylogger find out information about you, like your usernames and passwords or credit card information, they are perfectly legal. It's the individual trying stealing your password and credit card numbers that is performing an illegal act, not the keylogger software itself. There are times when keyloggers are useful. An employer may want to make sure his employee is not divulging trade secrets, or a spouse wants to make sure his or her spouse is not cheating on them. Or possible you want to make sure your child is not carrying on inappropriate conversations with an adult. There may be a moral issue involved on its use, but it is legal.”
Having several persons at home access my own PC, I presumably warn them on every boot that the system is monitored. I don’t want them to utilize my PC for illegal purposes, and being the owner of the computer, I have all the right to know what is being done on it.
I
keep telling to our clients that Keylogger is only a way of monitoring, just a great, multi-functional monitoring tool! You may surely use keyloggers like our
Elite Keylogger to infringe upon someone’s rights, but it is up to you, whether you want to screw the laws or you are using the software for legal matters.
Elite Keylogger doesn’t STEAL any information – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW! If you are given the admin permissions (which are required to install each of our
keylogging applications) – you have the right to install anything you might need. It is more the moral issue whether you will start the monitoring, but it is anyway legal, allowed and never prohibited.
and HERE:-
keylogger software
Keylogger software, also known as "
Computer Monitoring Software" or "
keylogger", is a program that secretly records all the activity that took place on a computer. And when I say “all activities”, I mean every keystroke typed, websites visited, chat conversations, printed documents, created or modifies files and more. A frequently asked question about this keylogger software is about the legitimacy of its usage.
Is keylogger software illegal?
The answer is definitely "No". When we talk about Spy or keylogger software, there is nothing illegal about the application itself. The keylogger developers have started and they continue to create their programs exclusively for legitimate purposes. There are so many situations when monitoring the computer activity is perfectly legal here are a few examples: parents can use spy software to protect their children from online abuse; companies may use computer monitoring software to ensure that their employees don't use the company’s assets for personal purposes. Of course there always are some people who can find negative uses for the very same software, and when I say negative uses I refer: stealing passwords, credit card numbers or corporate secrets. However, even in this situation it's not the software that breaks the law, but the person using it. There are also uses that are not strictly illegal, but have some moral ambiguity to them. to give an relevant example, a computer activity monitor may be used to find out the truth about your cheating spouse or to catch him/her in the act).
Do I break any law by using keylogger software?
It depends on the way you use them. In most cases you have the right to install any programs on the computer that belongs to you. You also have the right to install programs on other peoples' computers if you have their permission. Installing a monitoring program on another person's computer without his/her permission may be illegal. We will not try to give you any advice on the legal side of computer activity monitoring because everything depends on your particular situation. If you are in doubt, consult your lawyer.
Can keylogger software be used for any legitimate purposes?
Yes, sure. Here are just a few examples of perfectly legal uses of computer activity monitoring tools. You can:
- Monitor your children's online activity to make sure they don't visit pornographic Web sites or don't make any dubious acquaintances.
- Ensure no one is accessing your personal files while you are away from the computer.
- Keep track of the inexperienced users' activity to quickly locate the problem if they damage any system files.
- Monitor your employees' computer activity to make sure they are really working and don't do anything that may be a source of legal problems for you.
- Find out if someone uses your computer while you are away.
(again.. all due respect to you and your staff but I think this is such a grey area that needs to be clarified. If anything for my own sanity lol )
