Patent ID: 7032007

Claim:
A computer program product in a computer readable medium for monitoring use of an instant messaging user account, comprising: first instructions for receiving an instant message; second instructions for determining if a log of the instant message is to be stored; third instructions for storing the log of the instant message in storage device if the log of the instant message is to be stored; and fourth instructions for providing the log to a designated monitor of the instant messaging user account; wherein the second instructions for determining if a log of the instant message is to be stored further include: instructions far looking up a user identification of a source of the instant message in a user database; instructions for determining if a log field indicates if a log is to be stored; instructions for looking up a user identification of a destination of the instant message in an approved contact list; end instructions for determining that a log is to be stored if the user identification of the destination does not appear in the approved contact list.