Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
virtually any company doing business in Europe, and it is driving much of the attention being
given to privacy in the United States.
Privacy at Work
The right to privacy at work is also an important issue. Currently, the rights of workers who
want their privacy and the interests of companies that demand to know more about their
employees are in conflict. A recent poll uncovered that 78 percent of companies monitor
nearly one-third of companies have fired an employee for violating corporate e-mail poli-
find that they are being closely monitored via computer technology. These computer-
monitoring systems tie directly into workstations; specialized computer programs can track
every keystroke made by a user. This type of system can determine what workers are doing
while at the keyboard. The system also knows when the worker is not using the keyboard or
computer system. These systems can estimate what people are doing and how many
breaks they are taking. Needless to say, many workers consider this close supervision very
dehumanizing.
E-Mail Privacy
E-mail also raises some interesting issues about work privacy. Federal law permits employers
to monitor e-mail sent and received by employees. Furthermore, e-mail messages that have
been erased from hard disks can be retrieved and used in lawsuits because the laws of discovery
demand that companies produce all relevant business documents. On the other hand, the
use of e-mail among public officials might violate “open meeting” laws. These laws, which
apply to many local, state, and federal agencies, prevent public officials from meeting in
private about matters that affect the state or local area.
E-mail has changed how workers
and managers communicate in the
same building or around the world.
E-mail, however, can be monitored
and intercepted. As with other
services—such as cellular phones—
the convenience of e-mail must be
balanced with the potential of
privacy invasion.
(Source: © Gary Conner/Photo Edit.)
Instant Messaging Privacy
Using instant messaging (IM) to send and receive messages, files, and images introduces the
same privacy issues associated with e-mail. As with e-mail, federal law permits employers to
monitor instant messages sent and received by employees. Do not send personal or private
IMs at work. Other significant privacy issues depend on the instant messaging client that
you use. For example, at one time AOL and ICQ stated in their privacy policy that “You
waive any right to privacy” and that they may use your instant messages in any way they see
fit. Here are a few other tips:
