General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAny email that you send from your work place computer is the property of your employer.
Last edited Sat Aug 17, 2013, 10:30 PM - Edit history (1)
Also, your browsing history as well. You are not allowed to assert privacy rights over any email that you send through your workplace PCs.
Also, if your company allows you to use your personal devices, IPads, IPhones, BBs, etc. for work, then all data stored on those devices can be subjected to collection in a govt. investigation or litigation.
I know. I do this for a living, and no I do not work for the govt. I work for law firms, and we collect data from our clients.
--On Edit--
In Europe, this is not true. In France, all data on an employee's computer is considered the personal property of that employee and cannot be collected or search without that employee's permission.

leveymg
(36,418 posts)What's the point you're making?
Yavin4
(37,182 posts)Why are you so defensive?
leveymg
(36,418 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)I use my personal device at home as a freelancer... but worry about that at times.
Yavin4
(37,182 posts)then the data on your personal devices and your emails, even if it's a Gmail account, will be collected.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)leveymg
(36,418 posts)device, unless the employee is accused of being an accessory in a crime committed with the employer. In which case, nobody should be too surprised if the Feds haul all your computers away.
Yavin4
(37,182 posts)It's discoverable. The data on that device will be collected and searched for key phrases. Then the documents with those terms will be reviewed by attorneys, and then produced.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)and the related work messages received or sent.
You're essentially right. Thanks.
mstinamotorcity2
(1,451 posts)Kwame Kilpatrick hate that shit. Every electronic device he had that was issued and paid for with the city credit card, was property of the city of Detroit. Which entitles Detroiters to knowledge of most of the things that happen under the freedom of information act. Nolan Finley was laying in wait. Couldn't stand Kwame, we saw it coming.
MFrohike
(1,980 posts)The sheer volume of people who should know better and yet continue to carry out their personal affairs while at work. It's an identity thief's wet dream.
ileus
(15,396 posts)liberalhistorian
(20,879 posts)for privacy, and as pro-employee as I am, I have to say that I really don't have much of a problem with this. If you are using work computers during work time, that is the property of the employer and not your own personal property. Therefore, they have the right to make their own policies regarding its use and collection of data, and how you are using work property. You have to assume that anything you do on work computers will be known to them and act accordingly.
If there are personal emails and/or texts you need to send, do it on your own personal devices on your own time. If there is personal internet business you need to complete, do it on your own devices on your own time. Period. And if the company provides personal devices for you to use, you still need to assume that everything on it will be subject to collection and/or will be known to the employer, because it remains their property.
Do NOT do ANYTHING on a work computer and/or device that you would not want known by your employer or be subject to data collection. That is just simple common sense nowadays.
drventure
(67 posts)And no one has any problem with the government obtaining those records as long as they have a warrant that conforms to the laws of the land.
However, if there is a law that undermines, or circumvents one of our basic liberties, for example the 4th and 1st amendments, than many people are going to take issue with those illegal practices.
Clearly, that is what has everyone up in arms with the recent revelations from the latest whistle-blower.
As long as the notion of privacy is not dead, and it is still enumerated in our bill of rights, there will be push-back on this issue, and rightly so.
yawnmaster
(2,812 posts)NOT for work.
yep...that's how I do it.
Rex
(65,616 posts)Even if it is on your personal laptop.
question everything
(50,219 posts)This is what amazes me about "Cyber Monday" the Monday after Thanksgiving when so many, supposedly, are back at work and use the company computer to purchase gifts online.
How much time is being spent on this instead of... working?
When I was involved in a community project and was working on papers, I would bring my own disk - oh the days of floppy disks - to work on it and then take it home. Of course, never never saved anything personal on company computers. In earlier days, with the main frame, backup would occur at night. Thus, if I worked on something non-work related, I would delete it before I would go home.