To Catch A Cheater
Confront him... or use hidden software to monitor his internet use.
On the front page of Feministe, in the right hand column where the ads reside, we noticed a spot for "Broken Heart Detectives." Curious, we clicked through and found what claims to be the "#1 Site for Infidelity Investigations."
The company sells software you can secretly install on someone's computer to track and records emails, instant message conversations and websites visited. It includes screenshots of all computer activity, records keystrokes and thus passwords, search terms and email addresses and works even when browsing history has been erased. Pretty creepy, no?
The testimonials section of the site includes a note from a deployed soldier who wanted to make sure his wife was faithful and a woman who found out her husband wasn't cheating, and also recovered a deleted Word document. We did a quick seach but couldn't find any info on the company outside its website. We did find a press release claiming that the dude selling it was burned by his wife, and he's making the software available to everyone so "no one would have to go through the anxiety and anguish of being with an unfaithful partner." What a sweetie.
Services like these are a lose-lose situation. If you find out someone is cheating you know you've been lied to. If you find out they're not you might feel better, but you've just violated your partner's privacy and broken a trust bond. I think it's safe to assume that this level of snooping comes when someone is pretty desperate so there's probably not a lot of faith left to lose. And if you suspect enough to purchase and run Broken Heart Detectives, will you feel relieved when you don't find incriminating evidence, or will it fuel you to look for clues elsewhere? Is it possible to have a healthy relationship after using a program like this?
Below is the video where a woman describes the software. Let us know what you think.
Discussion
keyloggers and other tracking devices are disturbingly common in abusive relationships -- i've had a couple friends with a*****e partners who allowed them no privacy, including monitoring all internet use. domestic violence experts usually warn victims not to use the home computer for anything that would give away what you're doing.
they're used beyond those purposes but that's the area i'm familiar with. it can be quite scary. my general feeling is that if you're at a point where you want to monitor your partner's every step (or click) perhaps your relationship is at a point where you really should be seeking counseling, or bringing up the issues with him/her directly. there's no good to be had with this sort of surveillance.
