How to monitor kids' phone activity.

[Lus256]

Hello everyone, how can track my children's smart phone activity? I want to listen to their calls, and monitor their social media activity secretly. The phones the children use are Tecno Pop2 Plus

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

The secretly part as a little concerning

 

[winmod21]

Hello everyone, how can track my children's smart phone activity? I want to listen to their calls, and monitor their social media activity secretly. The phones the children use are Tecno Pop2 Plus

Ours are in college and beyond, thankfully. But it's definitely an interesting question!

Is Snooping on Teenagers Ever O.K.? (Published 2017)

New research questions the use of spying and suggests better approaches for worried parents.

www.nytimes.com

Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule ("COPPA")

COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.

www.ftc.gov

Why Parents Should Monitor Their Child's Phone and Internet Activity

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that the vast majority of parents in the United States are very concerned with the what their children do online and how their behavior could be monitored by others through web history, social media activity, phone calls and even text...

strategiesforparents.com

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/09/1174838633/psychologists-issue-health-advisory-for-teens-and-social-media

 

[methodman89]

Hello everyone, how can track my children's smart phone activity? I want to listen to their calls, and monitor their social media activity secretly. The phones the children use are Tecno Pop2 Plus

Are you in the US? Which state?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I moved this from the Introductions forum to the Ask A Question forum, since it isn't really an intro.

How old are the children? If they're under 13, your best bet is to use Google's Family Link. There are other 3rd party solutions out there as well, like Net Nanny, but I'm not sure how well those work.

As for eavesdropping on their phone conversations, I don't think you'll find any legitimate options for that. Even for parents or guardians, I don't think it's considered acceptable to spy on conversations like that (and besides, an app for that could all too easily be used to spy on other adults, which would be outright illegal).

 

[Lus256]

Are you in the US? Which state?

I am not in the US. I am in Uganda.

 

[Lus256]

The secretly part as a little concerning

I understand your concern. For a little context, these children are underage. 14 and 12 respectively. We bought them phones to gacilitate online learning during thee COVID19 lockdown. The rules were laid out clearly, and one of them was that ŵ monitor their activity. But now they are becoming secretive about their phone activity. I discovered that they clear all their logs before handing the phones in for night custody.

That's why I am interested in knowing what they do with their phones.

 

[Lus256]

Ours are in college and beyond, thankfully. But it's definitely an interesting question!

Is Snooping on Teenagers Ever O.K.? (Published 2017)

New research questions the use of spying and suggests better approaches for worried parents.

www.nytimes.com

Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule ("COPPA")

COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.

www.ftc.gov

Why Parents Should Monitor Their Child's Phone and Internet Activity

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that the vast majority of parents in the United States are very concerned with the what their children do online and how their behavior could be monitored by others through web history, social media activity, phone calls and even text...

strategiesforparents.com

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/09/1174838633/psychologists-issue-health-advisory-for-teens-and-social-media

Thanks for these reads. I will surely go through a and pick a leaf.

 

[methodman89]

In the US, carriers have family plans that allow you to lock down your kids phone to only contact who you approve of, as well as a log of their text messages and phone calls.
Good luck

 

[B. Diddy]

I realize we're starting to stray into a non-tech discussion about parenting here, but as a parent, I think it'd be reasonable for you to lay down the law, since you're the one who's paying for the phone and the service. Tell them that either they abide by your rules or lose phone privileges. Even better, threaten them with replacing their smartphone with a dumb flip phone that has very minimal online access.

 

[Windroid 2483]

I suspect that you're asking the wrong question. I suspect that as you try to crack down and monitor thier computer usage (including smartphones) more closely, you'll push them farther away from you and your guidance. That said: I don't know you, your kids, and your specific situation.