A few years ago, a time that seems to be ages ago now, a worried mother could take a sneak peek into a carefully hidden diary, to keep under control (or at least to be informed about) the outside activities of a daughter or a son who were starting to discover the world and its lures.

Decades have passed, but it really feels as if eons have gone. Nowadays, a smart kid keeps his secrets in an encrypted directory, safely stored in a password-protected USB key or a CD.

These terms, acronyms and procedures may appear as Chinese to those who have been in their teenage even just 20 years ago.

Today’s communication is mostly carried out via email, SMS or instant messengers such as Skype, and a concerned parent wishing to keep his kids safe, must be a techie to keep an eye over them.

Last summer, Italian newspaper reported about a father being set under investigation. The man, concerned with the possibility that his teen kids might use drugs, bought them a couple of so called "Spy Cell Phones", that is, cellphones which, unbeknownst to their users, act as listening devices and allow a third party to listen to the conversations they carry, thanks to a hidden software installed.

This father was concerned that the two boys might end up fooling around with the wrong company of friends (among which was a local pusher), and wanting to make sure that everything was all right with them, he gave them two of these devices as a Christmas present.

What the youths did not know, though, was that during their activities, all their conversations and sounds were being recorded and relayed to their father, even while their spyphones were turned off.

The father was placed under investigation, but a heated debate ensued, with people taking sides either in favor of privacy at all costs (after all, the man’s sons had not committed any illegal activities), or absolving the father for using a mobile spy with good intentions.

We know that all are equal before the law, and we all know that some are more equal than others, as the saying goes. But in cases like this, although eavesdropping is not legal everywhere if not carried out by law enforcement institution, does the usage of a cellular interceptor really break the law?

Politically correct lawmakers, though, tend to prevent a parent from secretly listening to their kids’ conversations, based on the protection of privacy and the assumption that unauthorized interception is by default aimed at an illegal use.

Caring for your kids goes beyond the boundaries of law, and the authorities may take this into consideration, when this man goes to trial for spying on his loved ones.

What is the cost of such spyphones, compared to the feeling of reassurance that comes from knowing that our loved ones are safe and sound?