‘This is NOT normal’: 24-year-old married woman removes parental tracking from her phone after parents judge her comings and goings, they unjustifiably retaliate

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Apr 9, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

The digital age has made space for an era of cyberstalking. Sure, new inventions and general technological innovation are major assets in this era of humanity, but some of technology's tools should not be accessible to individuals who will misuse them. Heck, I'm surprised some elder folks even want to dip their toes into new tech—I know I wouldn't. Just give me a big television, the daily crossword, and a good book, and I'll be set.

More specifically, let's think about how accessible the GPS has become. Every smartphone has one, and most companies—Apple and Google, for two—have developed advanced location tracking that's made available to all of its users. This comes in handy when you're sending Billy off to his first day of middle school on public transportation alone for the first time, or when 17-year-old Sara claims she's staying over at her friend's house even though you know there's a big bonfire down at the beach that night. As parents, though, it's important to develop a boundary once your child sets off to begin the rest of their lives as a competent adult. The parents in this next story don't quite understand how to let their married 24-year-old daughter blossom and even go so far as to judge her whereabouts whenever they get the chance. Scroll to read.

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  • The woman hadn't second-guessed sharing her location with her parents until her brother, who still lives at home, brought it to her attention. He informed her that her parents would frequently talk about and judge where she is and what she's doing, even though the only thing they have to form judgements on is a pinpoint location that, truly, could mean anything. It seems like the parents should be the ones being tracked, given their immature ways and need to put down their daughter in private.

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    via Nathan Anderson For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "AITA for removing all phone tracking from my parents who keep using it to see my location for non emergencies?"

    Here's the situation. I (24f) am married and live in a different state than my parents. I've had iPhones "find my friends" app since I had a phone at 12 years
    via Diz_Savvy
  • old that my parents set up. When I got married, my husband found it strange that my parents could see my location once we moved out but I just figured they would want it on for safety.
    via Diz_Savvy
  • Come two years later... my brother (21) who still lives with my parents gives me a heads up that my parents were judging my
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  • actions based on my location. I figured it would be a good time to remove that app anyways and thus, deleted their ability to see my location.
    via Diz_Savvy
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    via Priscilla Du Preez

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • This blew up into a whole situation where my parents are now saying that it was providing them comfort and safety to know where I was and it was just a
    via Diz_Savvy
  • 'mishap' and bad day for them. Additionally, my dad decided to retaliate and remove my access from all streaming services he paid for and threatened to remove my brother from the wifi for tattling as well.
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    via Glenn Carstens-Peters for Unsplash

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • AITA for removing them from seeing my location? My husband has never heard of parents seeing their kids location once they've moved out but my parents seem to think it's the end of the world. Just wanted to get other people's thoughts. Thanks!
    via Diz_Savvy
  • EDIT: Thank you all for the advice and thoughts! I originally posted as I've heard of other families sharing location as adults so I felt like the odd one out for not wanting this however you guys have helped me realize this is NOT normal.
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  • Additionally I want to make mention that I am completely fine paying for my own streaming services (and already pay for the ones that don't allow sharing on
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  • my own.) This is the ONLY thing my parents had been providing financially. I brought it up as a point of their reaction to help provide context of the situation.
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  • BanterPhobic NTA. Even when you were under the impression that the tracking feature would only be used for strictly safety-related reasons, you had every right to stop using it because you're an adult with a right to make your own choices.
    via BanterPhobic
  • Once it became clear that your parents were using the app to just kind of judge your life, any remaining reason you may have had to keep it switched on went out of the window. Keep it as it is and don't look back.
    via BanterPhobic
  • owls_and_cardinals NTA. You are an adult and your parents are using this information inappropriately. This is a perfect natural consequence for them to face. If you get retaliatory responses, well that s ks but again - see 'you're an adult'. Start paying for your own services.
    via owls_and_cardinals
  • If your parents are going to be this transactional and demand inappropriate access to you by holding things like paying for streaming services over your head, it's pretty unhealthy, but it's their prerogative and you should be independent in this way by now anyway, seeing that you are married and live independently.
    via owls_and_cardinals
  • SliceEquivalent825 NTA This has control freak written all over it. That they got mad and retaliated, proves that they are angry at you for taking their control away. You did the right thing. You have a good brother.
    via SliceEquivalent825
  • Ok-Position7403 NTA and your father's retaliations prove that it's not just a safety/comfort thing for them but a control thing.
    via Ok-Position7403
  • LolaSupreme19 NTA. Removing the "find my friends" App was a Declaration of Independence. As an adult, married, woman there isn't any need for your parents to track you. That they reacted so negatively to you removing the App says a lot about what they think and their disrespect of you. Stick to your decision. They will eventually get the message that you run your own life.
    via LolaSupreme19

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family drama aita entitled parents mother bad parenting reddit story family feud parenting family reddit thread Reddit Parenting Fail parents children entitled people Father
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