Are nanny cameras ideal or not?

With parents who are looking for someone to take care of their children or baby sitters, a demand to monitor your nannies' activities at home increases. At present, many manufacturers find new techniques on how parents like us can monitor our child's nanny when we're away. Along with it, a great issue to talk about is the question, Are nanny cameras ideal or not?

For many, it is. Parents validate their decision by pointing to incidents such as a November 2003 case in Long Island, N.Y., in which a couple's hidden camera revealed their long-time nanny slapping, kicking and attempting to smother their 10-month-old daughter. With that, one episode of the ABC hit Desperate Housewives showed the opposed possibility: Harried mom Lynette's hidden camera revealed a professional nanny who did her job so well and was so adored by the kids - that Lynette became insecure about her own parenting.

Among 4,000 mothers, 82 percent said they would rather not tell their nannies that they are being monitored not only because they are suspected to not give proper care and attention to the kids, but also to protect them from false accusations of abuse.

Some said they would resort to videotaping only if they suspected abuse. Because for some, it is unethical to use cameras secretly. Though 18 percent of the respondents said they objected with this idea, some admitted they had videotaped their nannies. - 2003 “Parenting” magazine and American Online Survey

Since there is a high demand of parents who uses nanny cam, experts in law ethics, privacy and electronic surveillance disagree over the appropriateness of secret cameras. Some nannies don't welcome a camera watching their every move - or, if one is, they want to be told about it.

Alec Farr, an attorney in Washington, D.C., law office of Bryan cave LLP, who specializes in aspects of privacy and technology said, “Legally, the decision is up to the parents when it comes to using such cameras. It’s your home. It’s her workplace you are providing to her. Therefore, she has no reasonable expectations of privacy in your home.”