my kid’s been acting secretive lately and i keep wondering if checking their texts would be crossing a line legally. i know parents have some rights but not sure where the limit is with older teens. has anyone dealt with this or know the actual rules?
Generally speaking, if your kid is a minor and it’s your account/plan paying the bill, you’re on pretty solid legal ground in most US states - you’re the account holder, you own the device, end of story. The line gets blurrier as they approach 18, and varies by state, but courts have pretty consistently sided with parents monitoring minor kids. That said, the easiest move before going full surveillance mode is just checking your carrier’s family dashboard (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile all have them) - you can see who they’re texting and how often without even touching their phone.