The potential uses of keystroke recorders go far beyond the obvious applications of keeping tabs on employees. Several keystroke recorders are marketed as parental controls, giving parents the ability to see not only what Web sites their children visit, but also the content of their e-mails, school papers and chat sessions. The software replaces a primitive system in which researchers stood behind users and took notes on every move they made. The variety of uses and abuses of these tools raise tough ethical questions. I cannot control how or why it is used.
All tools are subject to irresponsible use.
Yan of Amecisco points out that recordable CDs can be used to pirate software, but no one questions their right to exist. Gumbert's software is extremely popular and carried on many shareware sites, although one site discontinued offering it after some teachers complained that students were using it to gather teachers' passwords. The ethics of using such products is one minefield, the legality is another. Winn Schwartau, author of Information Warfare and the upcoming Time-Based Security , is a security expert who worked with Department of Defense twelve years ago in developing a security system that included keystroke recording. Law enforcement officials can monitor keystrokes with a court order, but individuals can land in legal hot water.