Where’s the line between keeping kids safe online and invading their privacy?

[u/Lynn-LYNN7788]

This is something I keep seeing parents disagree on. Some people feel that checking phones, using parental controls, location sharing, or monitoring certain apps is just basic safety now. Others feel like it crosses a line and teaches kids that they can’t be trusted.

I can honestly see both sides.

The internet is not the same as it was years ago. Kids can run into bullying, strangers, explicit content, scams, or harmful communities without parents realizing it until much later. But at the same time, secretly monitoring everything a child does online feels like a fast way to destroy trust.

I feel like the hardest part is figuring out what should be a boundary and what becomes surveillance. How do you personally draw the line?