More than half of Americans spy on their partner

More than 50 per cent Americans confess to spying on their partner - going through their lover's emails and text messages and searching their social media accounts, a new survey has found.

As many as 55 per cent of the 22,121 Americans people surveyed said they have snooped on at least one lover, whether it was by looking at their text messages or hiring a private investigator, according to the survey.

Researchers found that common spying methods included going through their lover's emails and text messages and searching their social media accounts, 'New York Daily News' reported.

Some 18 per cent reported listening in on phone calls or going as far as using phone taps. Others said they had hired a private investigator (4 per cent), used a mobile GPS tracker (7 per cent) or looking through credit card statements (16 per cent).

Of the self-proclaimed snoops, 73 per cent were women and 27 per cent were men.

About 68 per cent of people in Richmond admitted to poking around in their partner's business, however New York was one of the most trusting cities in the US, at least when it comes to couples' snooping habits.

"Protecting privacy is increasingly difficult in today's digitally-connected society," said Brandon Wade CEO and founder of SeekingArrangement.Com, which carried the research.

"Our study shows that surveillance today doesn't require highly-paid spies or big technology budgets. More often than not, the act of spying can be performed by anyone - especially someone closest to you." Wade said.