Is it acceptable for a parent to snoop and tamper with their 16-year-olds Facebook account?

[Paine]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnew...-duty.html

[La Volpe]

Nope. To read what's on his Facebook Page is one thing, but to change the password? Thats like changing the locks to your child's house because you don't approve of the neighborhood!


Don't give me that crap about "He's 16! She has every right." She had NO right to invade his privacy, She certainly had NO right to change the password and if she had an active brain cell in her head she'd have sat down and talked to him.

[Tom R]

i just heard about something like this on the radio. a kid is suing his parent because he said they changed his account , slandered him , an changed his email password so he cant access it. that is extreme on both sides. however parents have the responsibitlity of keeping kids safe an out of trouble. the bullying case of the irish girl is an example. obviously the parents of the bullys didnt know what was happening an now their kids are charged with some serious crimes. i think it can be justified but you have to pick your battles. the teen will feel violated

[dave g]

Where did the kid raise the funds to hire a lawyer to launch this lawsuit though? Didnt think McDonalds paid so well.

[lowbasket727]

Yes and the prosecutors in cases such as this one should be charged with something ranging from harassment to pedophilia.

[stanthemansmum]

16 is a bit to old for a parent to violate their privacy like this. In the UK their kids could be working full time, marry with their parent's consent, and live on their own - again with parental consent. I know in the US people of this age are still thought of as children.

My daughter is 13 and I do police her Facebook account - not to disturb her privacy but because of an incident which she had no control over and which could have got her in a lot of trouble - and found that there were a couple of unsavoury characters on her friends list - they contacted her through the various games. I now just remove any more adult sites and invites to join groups and check her friends list every now and again - but I will not be doing that when she is 16!!

[The Pikey.]

When I was 16 I had a kid and was living with my (then) hubby to be.

I feel that at 16 they are almost an adult and it is completely wrong to go meddling like that. Yeah, you make mistakes at 16 but that's part of growing up and maturing. It's not like when you're 18 you suddenly magically know what the world is about.

I think him suing them is ridiculous though.

[nelly]

Well..

I guess facebook is the modern version of a diary. These things are private and at 16, the kid has a right to some privacy. I'd have died of embarassment if my mum had read my diary and let's face it - it wasn't always true!

I think she should have just spoken to him about it. Hacking in and barring him from his account is pointless as he'll just create another one.

I keep an eye on my daughter's home page and have a look at her friend list from time to time - but then she's only 12.

[Lavender]

i have a 14 year old and i must admit i have had a little snoop by sitting near her etc and she has me as a contact so i can keep an eye on her wall etc,but you have to be discreet and i would never dream of changing passwords.
the fact the mother does not live with her son says quite alot and i can understand why he thinks its an invasion to his privacy.

[Duirmuid]

I think the law will go against her, because the grandparents are looking after the boy and she only has visitation rights. This family obviously is a sad case and the boy's relationship with his mother and probably his father has broken down completely.

She is trying to assert a parent role when in fact she does not have parental rights otherwise why has she only visitation rights. If she persists she may find that in fact her visitation rights will be removed.

The boy at 16 has a right for his voice to be heard and his views to be taken into consideration now.