Those who've snooped through their other half's phone without permission could well have been breaking the law without even realising it.
Partners who have grown suspicious of each other have been warned by phone experts that checking each other's private phones without asking first could see them fall foul of UK legislation that prohibits certain types of electronic eavesdropping.
This advice comes after research found that nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) of those in relationships had indeed used their partner’s phone without their knowledge, while more than half (51 per cent) confessed to having checked their significant other's messages.
This warning comes from experts at phone price comparison site SellCell, who have explained that Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act hinges on consent.
According to these experts, if your partner has routinely given you login details to their phone, email, or social media accounts and permitted you to use them, a court may find that they've given you authorisation.
Implied consent is a complicated area, however, and you may well still be found to have violated a law that prohibits logging in to view a significant other's messages without first obtaining permission.
As per SellCell research, less than half of respondents (49 per cent) have shared passwords with their other half, while eight per cent knew their partners had their password with them actually having shared it.
More than half of respondents (55 per cent) admitted to having used their partner's phone to check emails, while 52 per cent also checked their social media and 51 per cent snooped through their pictures.
It was discovered that men were more likely to regularly check their partner's phone, with 31 per cent of men confessing to this compared with 15 per cent of women.
Those convicted of breaking the law by spying on their other half could well face serious penalties, including hefty fines, and even prison time.
In more severe cases, those found guilty of the unauthorised use of electronic communications could serve a two-year prison term on indictment.
A SellCell spokesperson said: "With nearly three-quarters of those surveyed admitting to using their partners' phone without them knowing, millions could be breaking the law whether they know it or not.
"Loved-up couples will often share their most intimate secrets when things are going well including their passcodes. But when suspicions start to arise, permission to share everything including each other's phones and messages might not be so clear cut.
"Our research shows suspicious spouses are accessing their partners' private information in large numbers even when they haven't been given passcodes or permission."
They continued: "Smartphones really do offer a window into the soul so for anyone who thinks their other half might be cheating they can provide conclusive proof.
"We would urge anyone compelled to snoop on their partner to think very carefully before doing so as they could be opening a can of worms. The truth is that millions of us have already secretly checked our phones to see what our partners are doing.
"But it's important to know where to draw the line and it is never acceptable to hack a password or PIN number or to gain access to another person's device without their permission."
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