Big Brother May Be Reading Over Your Electronic Shoulder

According to a survey conducted by the American Management Association, US News & World Report, and The ePolicy Institute, 47% of employers monitor employee e-mail, and 56% are concerned enough about employees’ electronic behavior to restrict employees’ personal use of the organization’s e-mail system.^[9] The federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) gives employers the right to monitor all the e-mail traffic on the company’s system. Employers who want to protect their organizations’ futures and assets are advised to exercise that right. Employees who want to protect their professional reputations and careers are cautioned to use the company’s e-mail system as intended—for business purposes only.

^[9] American Management Association, 2001 Survey of Electronic Policies and Practices.

Real-Life E-Disaster Firefighters in Columbus, Ohio, triggered an internal investigation, media sensation, and public uproar when a routine scan of on-the-job Internet surfing revealed that fire division headquarters’ staff were visiting as many as 8,000 pornographic sites a day.[10]

^[10] Barbara Carmen, “Fire Division Caught Peeking at Pornographic Sites on the Internet,” The Columbus Dispatch, August 1, 1999.