Privacy

Most users of information technology are aware of the specter of lost privacy. For many, however, this fear is not grounded in an informed understanding of what and where these risks of privacy are.

Employee Monitoring and Pornography at Work
With the huge influx of desktop computers for corporate employees, corporate IT departments have had an increase in problems with computer abuse. A significant number of employees illegitimately use their computers and high-speed corporate Internet connections to surf the Web for personal reasons, and in some cases to access inappropriate materials such as pornographic images. Many corporations have implemented strict Internet-use policies that require discipline for employees caught in such practices. In order to protect the use of their systems, many companies have started monitoring the computer activities of their employees. In the United States, corporations can legally record employees' computer activities, such as reading their e-mail messages, tracking the websites they visit, and even monitoring their keyboard typing rates.

These pages were written by Jeffrey L. Nyhoff and Steven H. VanderLeest and edited by Nancy Zylstra
© 2005 Calvin University (formerly Calvin College), All Rights Reserved.

If you encounter technical errors, contact computing@calvin.edu.