Nation of digital snoops

New research reveals that almost half of Brits (46 per cent) have 'snooped' on a friend or partner and read their texts and emails without their permission.

According to the study by esure home insurance, one in six people (17 per cent) have logged into someone else's email or Facebook account without prior consent and a worrying seven per cent of those polled hack into a friend or partner's account at least once a month.  Proving that we can't be trusted with other people's mobiles either, 29 per cent of Brits have even read their friend or partner's text messages in secret.

But it seems we're not just using modern technology to check up on our peers or other halves; parents are also using the internet to find out what their children are up to.  39 per cent of mums and dads questioned confessed to using sites such as Facebook and Bebo to see what their children's friends are like and a sneaky 29 per cent admitted to logging onto at a social networking site to discover more about their child's boyfriend or girlfriend.

Although 'snooping' isn't a true crime, tech-savvy Brits are also taking the law into their own hands with 30 per cent admitting to downloading music or film illegally.  A third (33 per cent) of those polled illegally download a track or movie at least once a year, with four per cent doing so once a week and one per cent confessing to doing so on a daily basis. 

Nikki Sellers, Head of home insurance at esure, said: "Whilst 72 per cent of Brits believe that honesty is always the best policy, it's clear that when it comes to behaviour online we do not necessarily have the same moral principles.  Dishonest or unscrupulous behaviour in the digital world is far more commonplace than we may have first thought with hi-tech snooping within families fast becoming the norm.

"When it comes to digital behaviour, users of social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo should also remember to be careful when posting information online - particularly about parties or celebrations.  There have been several recent instances of small gatherings being gatecrashed by unwanted guests and properties subsequently damaged at substantial cost to the homeowners."

Gender Divide
Females are most likely to read their partner or friend's text messages - the average woman admitted to doing so seven times per year compared to just four times by men polled.  However, while males confessed to downloading films or music illegally eight times per year on average, females said they do so just four times a year.

When it comes to using social networking sites to spy on their children, women are the sneakier sex - 42 per cent of those questioned admit that they have used sites like Facebook to see what their children's friends are like, in comparison to just 35 per cent of fathers confessing to doing so.

Regional Differences
Over a third (37 per cent) of those polled in the South West confessed to secretly reading their partner or friend's text messages, while those in the North East admitted to doing so on average more than 12 times per year.  A further 23 per cent of Londoners confessed to logging on to a friend or partner's email or Facebook account without permission whereas just 14 per cent of those in the West Midlands admitted to doing so.

And 36 per cent of Scottish adults polled admitted to downloading music or films illegally compared to just 18 per cent in Wales.