UK Employers May Read Employees' Mail

Martin Spamer writes: "The BBC reports that today the UK introduces Controversial new regulations (RIP) giving employers sweeping powers to monitor their workers' e-mails and Internet activity. Campaigners say the rules, under the new Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, are an assault on personal privacy." I guess I just don't see it. If I was gonna bad mouth my boss, I'd use my domain as the e-mail address, and PGP crypt the message. It's not so simple when you're using, say, a corporate laptop on your couch at home on a Saturday night tho.This bill was passed a while ago - but this is the day it takes effect.

Comments

Re:Employee Mail

[radja]

>Users need to realize that the computer they use at work belongs to their employer, as does the network, the internet connection, and the service to keep it running.

so is the toilet.. how'd you like a camera there?

//rdj

It's the "gimme" generation

[hawk]

Why, how can you possibly not understand this. The computer is theree, therefore I'm entitled to privacy. In fact, I'm entitled to have my employer provide a computer to use for my personal matters during working hours. Not having one just isn't *fair*.

Furthermore, my employer has absolutely no right to question what I do with its property that it provides me. It's not like it has any right to control the use, nor that it amy get sued for my use of company property.

Why do they think I'm here? to do stuff for *them*???

Furthermore, I demand full privacy screens to protect me from them
monitoring me . . .

*********

Given that the employer has absolutely no obligation to allow personal use, there's no privacy issue. Personal use is only permitted on these terms. Don't like them?--demand your money back.

hawk, esq.

Re:I don't understand

[Bug2000]

In the case of emails, why not marking personal emails as 'Personal'. Those emails would not be legally accessible by the employer. And if an employer sees that there are 50 personal emails a day for an employee then he is fully entitled to say he has a problem with it. Privacy is preserved and company working time is monitored. In the case of internet access, I believe that employers should be allowed to say that it can only be used for work purposes and therefore have full right to monitor their employees' navigation. Sort of meeting behalves...