Court: NY Parents Can Legally Eavesdrop On Their Children

Hudson Valley parents can start hitting the record button. New York's top court has ruled that eavesdropping on your kids is now legal.

The Associated Press reports that the New York State Court of Appeals voted 4-3 that parents can eavesdrop on their children's conversations if they believe it is in their best personal interest.

Of course, this may sound like a no-brainer, but the most important part of this ruling ultimately makes recordings of children with third parties legal and admissible in court. The ruling comes after a man secretly recorded a conversation between the 5-year-old son of his girlfriend and a man who had threatened the child with violence. The court's decision waives the current eavesdropping laws that require the consent of at least one person on the call.

Some of the dissenting judges raised concerns about how this may affect custody battles and other family disputes. Legally allowing parents to eavesdrop on each other through their children is a can of worms that three of the judges thought was enough of a concern to vote against the ruling.

We want to know what you think. Are you happy with this ruling or do you think that it could be an invasion of privacy?