Chinese parents could be dragged to court if they secretly browse through their children's computers or cell phones following a law to prevent them from "spying" on their wards.

The law passed in Southwest China Chongqing state forbids parents from secretly searching through children's computers or cell phones for emails, diaries, web chats or short messages.

The first-of-its-kind Chinese regulation, which comes into effect from September after it was adopted on July 23, provides legal means to minors against "spying" by their parents.

By the end of 2009, the number of minors using the Internet in China exceeded 126 million, with about 74 percent of them accessing the web at home, according to the China Internet Network Information Centre.

Lu Yulin, a professor if Political Science at the China Youth University, conceded that the regulation symbolises a major progress for child privacy protection.

However, he doesn't see it having much effects in reality. "It will bring little change, as parents who habitually check such information won't stop due to the regulation," he was quoted as saying by the China Daily.

Song Jingbo, a sixth grader in northwestern city of Xi'an of Shaanxi province, said his parents have a long way to go before they can hack into his computer.

"I am far more Internet savvy than they are," said the 11-year-old who goes online for about two hours a day, mostly to communicate with friends and play games.

However, if Song caught his parents intruding into his cyberspace, he said: "I won't call the police, as I know they just want to help protect me."

A survey by popular online portal Sina.com indicated that nearly 42 percent of some 2,500 respondents did not welcome the regulation in Chongqing, the report said.

But parents have the responsibility to monitor the children who lack self-control, said Ni Qian, a mother of a 13-year-old boy.