Do you think employers or Internet Service Providers have the "right" to monitor email and internet activity?

Question

In my class discussion, I found this topic rather debateful and from your knowledge, what are YOUR personal thoughts on this and WHY?

Some might feel this a violation of the right of privacy.
Others might wonder if online monitorization if removed, it could become a potential threat.

Answer 1

In a corporation they absolutely have the right to monitor your activity as you are using their equipment, their network and they are paying you for the time you are using, so really this is not a privacy matter at all.

As for service providers, I think it is okay to monitor certain things for criminal behavior, terrorist activity and the like. I think it is okay because it benefits all of us. Do you lose some privacy, sure, but as long as you are not breaking the law then why would you care?

Answer 2

An employer has the rights to monitor e-mail because you are using his time, resources and money to send the e-mail. Plus, as an IT person for a large corporation, I have seen the amount of confidential material accidently leaked through company e-mail. Statements that could plce the company in danger of a law suit, could be seen as harrassment of other employees, could place the company at risk of criminal charges, etc. Any action (e-mail) sent by an employee can be used against the company as a whole. Recently show a company shut down by a law suit because one employee used company e-mail to arrange sex with a 14 year old girl. Goes far beyond just making sure you are not e-mailing your boy/girl friend on company time. Your employee has the right to protect himself and his company.

Answer 3

Employers have the right to monitor all internet activity that occurs in the work place, because they need to know if the people that they're paying to work are actually working.

Other than that, there is no reason that anyone should be monitored while on the internet. What we do online is our business and no one else's.

Answer 4

Your employer has the right to monitor anything sent from or to their computers. They are, after all, responsible for any activity generated from those computers. They're the ones who will take the hit if you're accessing child porn or you click on a link to a virus. In addition, they have a right to know what you're doing during office hours. They are paying you to do a job not to chat with your friends. So, by agreeing to work for a company and be paid for it, you forfeit your right to privacy during the time for which you are being paid. What you do on your own time, or your own computers, is another story.

Answer 5

I don't think Internet service providers should monitor activity but I think employers have the right to keep employees off the game & porn sites.

Answer 6

their time ,their dime
do you think you have the right to fraud your employer out of wages and productivity
are you entitled to play around and browse porn sites,make wedding invitations ,costing time ,money and energy as well as exposing the server for the whole company to adaware and spyware programs and viruses that slow down the system and cost the additional expense of technical support average 75 dollars an hour
as an employee with a strong work ethic and integrity you have nothing to fear or hide and no privacy on company owned work property used as a tool
your private time and emails at home are none of your employers damn business,you do not get paid to live at home you do not get paid to be an irresponsible beast of burden , your employer is not your daddy and if he is and you have the mentality that he should tolerate this bad behavior then he should have whupped you good and failed to when he raised you and still should cause you need a reality check

Answer 7

Any time you are using someone else's equipment or service they have the right to monitor what you are doing. They are protecting themselves from any liability that could possibly be incurred from something an employee or customer might do.

Answer 8

Employers yes, because it is their internet that they are paying for that you are using. You wouldnt go to a friends house and use their internet for pornographic or other purposes, so why do it at work. Internet Service Providers, no. You are paying for the internet that you are using so why should you be restricted as towhat you view.

Answer 9

I have Comcast internet and we were downloading movies from Kazaa a few years ago. We got a letter in the mail from Comcast saying that we had to remove a movie from our computer or would get fined for it. So whether or not it's right THEY ARE WATCHING YOU! (We also stopped doing the illegal downloading. It wasn't worth the fine of several hundred dollars!)

Answer 10

I think that an employer has the right. I mean, they are paying you to work, and if you are goofing off on the net, than they should have every right to know.

-but-

I dont think ISPs should monitor, since YOU are paying to use their service.