Essay about The Privacy of E-Mail - 1319 Words

The Privacy of E-Mail Today the Internet is being used more and more frequently, and the question of e-mail privacy is becoming more and more of an issue in society. Many people today, both at work and at home, are using e-mail to keep in touch with their friends, family, and their co-workers. Sometimes the information that is contained in these messages is private and confidential, neither the sender nor the receiver wish any one else to be privy to what is contained in these messages. What happens if that very private piece of mail is intercepted and read by those whom it is not meant for? For some people it might only be a slight problem, but for others it could cause some serious problems. It also brings up the issue of who†¦show more content†¦It would be very difficult to prove that someone intercepted a message that was not meant for them and read it. Another problem that comes with this act is that it does not protect the person from having their e-mail read by an inside source. An insid e source would include, their boss or another member of the company that they are working for, so someone in that position could reasonably read their e-mail without having to worry about reprimands form the company. Courts have ruled that e-mail sent via an office system is only private if the sender has a reasonable expectation of privacy when they send it. Again this can be pretty vague about what a persons reasonable expectation of privacy for their e-mail means. What reasonable expectation means for one person may be very different for another, creating quite a problem in the company about what reasonable expectation is. Many companies now have policies for their employee e-mail that states that it is not a good idea for a person to send private e-mail through the companies system. It is also a know fact that if the company owns the system that the e-mail is being sent through then they have the right to inspect and to read what is being sent. If a person wishes to avoid prying eyes they might wish to have an old fashioned face to face conversation when discussing something that is private. Some people today areShow MoreRelatedShould Companies Have the Right to Monitor Employees’ E-Mails and Phone Conversations?1198 Words   |  5 PagesShould Companies Have The Right To Monitor Employees’ E-mails And Phone Conversations? Employees watch out when using communication, whether e-mail or phone, at work, you never know who may be listening. Should companies have the right to monitor employees’ e-mails and phone conversation? Most studies believe that they, employers, do have the right to monitor the e-mail and phone conversations of their employees, as long as they are notified of the fact. There is a tremendous amount of literatureRead More Essay on Internet Privacy - Invasion of Privacy on the Internet964 Words   |  4 PagesInvasion of Privacy on the Internet       Invasion of privacy is a serious issue concerning the Internet, as e-mails can be read if not encrypted, and cookies can track a user and store personal information. Lack of privacy policies and employee monitoring threatens security also. Individuals should have the right to protect themselves as much as possible from privacy invasion and shouldnt have to give in to lowered standards of safety being pursued by the government.    EncryptionRead MoreEssay about Net Privacy1405 Words   |  6 PagesNet Privacy The internet has brought mixed blessings to the people who use it. It is a fantastic information source but the relative lack of privacy has brought forth a major problem. 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For example, after transmissionRead MoreThe Rights and Ethics of Employees with Respect to Privacy at Work788 Words   |  4 PagesDania Afif El-Achmar The Rights and Ethics of Employees with Respect to Privacy at Work Widespread use of electronic communications media such as e-mail and information resources such as the Internet has prompted many employers to engage in electronic surveillance of their employees. Employers are monitoring—and even recording—employees’ personal phone calls, e-mails, and workplace conversations. Video cameras are trained on employee parking lots, break areas, and other parts of the workplace. Today’sRead MoreInternet at Work Essay1247 Words   |  5 Pagesfax, and e-mail. All of these new technologies have brought in a new era to the present world. The use of computers and Internet for electronic commerce and information exchange has increased quite dramatically, Martina Schollmeyer (Texas AM University-Corpus Christi, USA), and Helen Kelly (University of Western Ontario, Canada) showed that approximately 90% of the companies have an e-mail system at work. An employee sends and receives an average of 50 e-mail messagesRead MoreThe United States Federal Government Should Significantly Increase Protection Of Privacy Essay1592 Words   |  7 Pages Privacy The United States federal government should significantly increase protection of privacy in one or more of the following areas: employment, medical records, and consumer information. The question of workplace privacy is a tricky one; in order to come up with a workable solution, one must balance the separate, and often conflicting, needs and expectations of employers and employees. In this essay, three types of workplace privacy issues will be discussed: e-mail and other