Phone-tapping is a controversial surveillance practice that involves secretly listening in on someone's telephone conversations without their knowledge or consent. There are several synonyms for phone-tapping, including wiretapping, eavesdropping, listening in, monitoring, and surveillance. Wiretapping is the most common synonym and refers to the use of an electronic device to intercept and record phone conversations. Eavesdropping is a more general term and covers various types of surreptitious listening, including phone-tapping. Monitoring and surveillance both refer to the systematic observation of a person's activities, including their phone conversations. Regardless of the term used, phone-tapping is a serious violation of privacy and can have legal and ethical consequences.