Is this an invasion of privacy/against the law?

[Sara]

I am 25 years old, and living with my aunt and uncle, trying to get back on my feet after a rough divorce. They recently admitted to me that they read messages between me and my bf on my facebook account because they "can't trust me" and they don't approve of my new boyfriend. Is this against the law, since I am paying them rent? Help!!

[Heike]

You have learned the hard way that facebook is not private.

[Athena]

It is their home and they can make the rules.
Also, your Facebook page is public so anyone can read it.
As they must take care of their own safety, and your legacy of wise discussions is in question (by them) then the have the right for personal safety.

Tell me, if the situation was revered, know all that you do, wouldn't you do the same thing?

[Jay]

If you put stuff into the public domain then don't be surprised when people read and comment on it afterwards. You might just as well be printing it out and pinning it to the local Town hall noticeboard.

Either make your status on Faceache private or don't conduct your private life in an open manner.

If they are reading private messages between you are your bf then ask them to stop and respect your privacy or don't leave your FB account open so they can read your messages.

[Kristine]

Athena, that is not necessarily true. Just because you own the home, building whatever, doesnt mean you can go thru her private affairs.She is a renter. Call the State on that exact law.

[Yeti]

It would mainly be against the law if they had to hack into your Facebook account to read things.

It sounds like they're simply reading what you've publicly posted. That's not against the law. Though you may technically be paying them rent, for better or worse, relatives are also going to get a bit more nosy at times, and most would say it's reasonable for them to have some concern about you. If you don't want your "landlords" nosing into your business, you can move to a more formal rental, and you can restrict what you post publicly on Facebook.

[wendy c]

Rent or no rent, this is not so much of legal issue as common courtesy.
Messages that are on your wall are visible. You know this. If you are chatting private, then they are hacking in, or you are failing to close your page. It also is a question of if you are using their computer or your phone.
As an adult.. if you want your conversation private, facebook is the worst place in the world. YOU need to be more aware. It's that simple. Either you talk verbally on the phone where there is no record or find a safer means to keep your messages truly private.