Thesis on "Internet Privacy"

Thesis 4 pages (1412 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Internet Privacy

The main issue that will be addressed here is whether Internet privacy is appropriate in the sense that it can and should be used to control or regulate what is done in the workplace. The focusing question on Internet privacy is this:

Is Internet privacy a right in the workplace or only a privilege?

The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the issue, argue a claim, and analyze a theory. Additional questions that will help with the research are:

Do most workplaces offer their employees Internet privacy?

Do companies that do not offer Internet privacy have a requirement to tell their employees?

Should employees ask about this when they are hired or only assume that they have no right to privacy on the Internet at work unless told otherwise?

The main thesis for this paper is that employees in a workplace do not enjoy Internet privacy while they are at work and that they should not expect it as a basic right.

The tested theory is that, overall, this thesis holds true and most companies that offer their employees the Internet at work or require them to use the Internet or email for business do not give them any expectation of privacy.

Personal feelings have shaped the way I feel because too many employees seem to think that the Internet is there at work for them to play with. When their employer looks to see where they have been or checks their emails to see what they have been doing, the employees react as though they are the offended parties. They seem to labor under the misguided belief that their work email addresses and business computers are personal property, which is not seen by many employers to be the case.

Internet Privacy

Ever since the Internet and email began to be widely used in the business world, employers have been monitoring their employees' email messages and what kinds of Websites they have been visiting on company time. While some employers are much more concerned than others, and therefore monitor their employees' activities more closely, all employers have the option to monitor their employees where the Internet is concerned. This is making some employees very nervous, but does it violate their rights? Some believe it does, and others see it as necessary for the proper functioning of business. The argument could go either way as to whether it is an invasion of privacy or a necessary evil, but looking at the issue from all angles is certainly important.

According to a relatively recent British news story, it is illegal to monitor employee's email and Internet usage without telling them that you are going to be doing do. The story states that covert monitoring may be acceptable in special circumstances, such as when a crime is thought to be being committed, but it is a bit of a gray area and therefore is open for interpretation as to what it acceptable monitoring and what is not. Under normal circumstances, though, it is not thought to be acceptable in that country. The most important thing for a company to do is to set out clear policies for Web and Email usage and let employees know up front whether they will be monitored so that there will not be any confusion in the future. Usually, employee monitoring can be limited to a record of the email traffic and the subject of those emails, without actually having to read the contents (Loney, 2002).

Because email and Internet have not been around for a long time in the grand scheme of things, the rules on what a person can and cannot do are still being created. Clearly, a set policy as well as laws, are needed so that no one's first amendment rights are being violated in any way. According to the first amendment, everyone has the right to freedom of speech. If employers are stopping people from saying what they want to during an email, then they are taking away that right, some people believe. Other people believe that employers have to draw the line somewhere, and not having email policies and Internet policies would cause employees to spend too much time with their computers, using them… READ MORE

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