3 Reasons Why Someone Might Consider Installing a Spy App on Another Person’s Device
It’s really hard to find an app out there that’s as clearly morally wrong as a spy app—until you dig a bit deeper into it. Sure, it’s morally wrong to spy on another person, but why aren’t they illegal? Why is their use illegal on a case-to-case basis? More importantly, what reason would one have to install a spy app on someone else’s device?
Once again, we don’t condone the use of spy apps in most cases, but even then, not all spy apps are as bad, and there are some scenarios in which they can even save lives. They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but this isn’t always the case either.
Sometimes, you install a spy app on someone else’s phone out of your own insecurity, but sometimes, you do it out of love, care, and concern. We’ll try to give a compelling argument for both sides, so read up before you cast any judgment.
With that in mind, and without further ado, here are the top three reasons why people use spy apps.
1. Checking up on your kid
Remember that nasty rumor someone started about someone in high school? Can you imagine what that horrible person would do if they had a present-day deep-fake technology?
Moreover, imagine if rumors had social media and modern messaging tools. Just think how quickly and how widely these could spread.
Now, remember a scenario where you had a problem in high school. Were you able to tell your parents about it? If yes, could you do it every single time, no matter what the subject matter was?
Bullying is at an all-time high. It often goes unwitnessed, and roughly 57% of all bullying incidents are unreported. The rates are also rapidly increasing among grade-level elementary and middle school students.
That’s not all.
There’s no beating around the bush; it’s important to say that our kids live in a different world than we did. A sip of beer bought with a fake ID or even a cigarette in a bathroom stall (although bad) is nowhere near as bad as some of the substances that our kids can get their hands on.
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell which of these two scenarios could put your kid in a worse spot, and with the right spy app, you might just get a chance to figure this out in time. Moreover, while this may sound morally dubious, you should ask a parent who missed this window of opportunity and had their child actively harm themselves whether they would have such moral scruples if they got another chance.
The truth about spy apps is that they allow monitoring devices remotely, which can give you a chance to actually protect your child. Regarding your kid’s safety, nothing is off the table.
Now, don’t get your hopes up for other reasons on the list; we started with the best one.
2. Relationship trust issues
This is probably the first thing you had in mind. We’re talking about a scenario in which one partner suspects the other is cheating, misappropriating funds, or violating their trust in several different ways.
Before proceeding with this one, we have to point out that it’s completely illegal to install spy software on your partner’s phone. There’s nothing even morally or legally gray about this one – it’s illegal, and it’s wrong.
First of all, you don’t even know if you’re doing everything wrong, and there’s always a probability that you’re just paranoid or that you misread a situation. At that point, even if you don’t get found out (which is more likely than you think), you get to live with the knowledge that you violated their trust and privacy.
Most often, this comes down to common jealousy. You want to track your partner, or you want to see who they’re texting. Installing a keylogger is just as bad.
On the other hand, it might not have anything to do with another person. Maybe you suspect they’ve returned to an old habit that they promised they’d avoid.
The reason why some people use these tools is because they lack other means of finding out. Let’s take gambling, for instance. In the past, a person had to go to a casino in order to enjoy these luck-based games but today, with online casinos, this is no longer the case.
Not only that, they can even play in anonymous casinos, which means that there is no paper trail (or digital trail) to follow.
Still, catching them this way is never a good solution. First of all, online gambling is likely completely legal, whereas installing a spy app on another adult’s phone is not. Do you see where we’re going with this one?
3. Taking care of aging parents
When people get older, they develop conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Even if that doesn’t happen, their cognitive capabilities will diminish, which means that they might get lost more easily or need more supervision.
Have you ever seen an elderly person try to answer a phone? It takes a while, and sometimes, the call ends before they can manage it. We’re not trying to play on the ageism card, and we acknowledge that some people are incredibly tech-savvy and sharp in their golden age, but there are many who are not.
Sure, you may install an audio speech recognition device to help them control their home, install more smart devices in their home (so that they can control it via their phone), and even connect their biometric device to your own smartphone. However, you may also install a tracking app.
When done with their consent, this is completely legal. However, a big problem is that some aging parents don’t acknowledge that they need care.
They’re not a person who was born with a disability or developed it earlier in life at a point where they can accept that they’ll have to learn how to live with it. They’re used to being able to do everything they can. They’re used to taking care of you, and the idea of it being the other way around is horrifying and embarrassing.
However, you have to talk to them and explain the situation. As long as they agree to this tracking method, everything is legal (and morally justified). Just ask them to do you a favor, this small concession, for the sake of your own peace of mind.
Of course, some still say no, and some loving kids take a risk and do something illegal despite the potential consequences.
Remotely monitoring one’s device can save lives and ruin trust
If you’re coming from a place of love and genuinely want to protect someone you care about, you’ll do all that’s in your power to do so. Sure, trusting them and being open about your concerns is the best way, but if it fails (and it can fail, despite all the moral grandstanding you see in popular public discourse), you may be left with no other choice. This is especially the case when your kids are involved, and, in this scenario, it’s even legal to do so.
If another adult consents to this app installation, regardless of whether it’s an aging parent you’re taking care of or a partner trying to regain your trust (after an incident), this can also be completely legal.
Even here, a lot of it comes down to context.
