 | Management Information Systems 4/e - James A. O'Brien | |||||
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Chapter 15: Managing IT: Security and Ethical Challenges
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1. Computer Ethics: Abusing Internet Access in the Workplace Employers who give Internet access to their staffs are sending out a message: look at porn lose a paycheck. Faced with international controversies over pornography and hate speech on the Internet employers are setting policies to limit Internet usage to business purposes. They also are penalizing employees who send out abusive electronic mail flame people on Usenet or visit inappropriate sites on the World Wide Web. And they are cautioning employees to remember that out on the Net they represent their companies not just themselves. For most companies an Internet usage policy is straightforward. It generally informs employees that their Internet access is a company resource that should be used only for their jobs. 3M's policy is simply put; that Web must be used for business purposes. If people get on and abuse it, then you've got a problem with that individual and need to handle it, said Luke Crofoot a marketing services supervisor at 3M in St. Paul Minnesota. Crofoot said he opposes draconian measures to control Internet use. "What really gets under my skin is the people who want to censor the world and place on me the burden of creating the infrastructure to what should and should not be censored he said. Trying to control employee use of the Internet is nonproductive, he added. It is better to educated people about how to use the Internet and accept that at first they will spend a lot of time online looking up non-business-related content, Corfoot said. That approach may work for companies that five employees a lot of independence, said Barry Weiss, a partner at Gordon & Glickson, a Chicago law firm that specializes in information technology legal issues. But for firms that want more control over their employees, the best solution is to develop detailed Internet usage policies, he added. Companies that have detailed Internet usage policies in place or are developing them include the Chase Manhattan Bank NA; Johnson Controls, Inc.; Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc.; and Monsanto Co. The Internet is essentially a communications tool Weiss said. It is important that companies think about the different ways that information will be communicated. They want to define policies and procedures to avoid risk so that this new technology will be used in an effective way." But some attorneys take a tougher stance. "Employees are under the misapprehension that the First Amendment applies in the workplace-it doesn't said Neil J. Friedman, a Washington attorney who specialized in online law. Employees need to know they have no right of privacy and no right of free speech using company resources."
Source: Adapted from Mitch Wagner Firms Spell Out Appropriate Use of Internet for Employees, Computerworld February 5 1996 pp. 56-58. Copyright 1996 by Computerworld Inc. Framingham MA 01701. Reprinted from Computerworld. 2. Your Internet Job Rights: Three Ethical Scenarios Weather you're and employer or an employee you should know what your rights are when it comes to Internet use in the workplace. Mark Grossman a Florida attorney who specializes in computer and Internet law gives answers to some basic questions. Scenario 1 Nobody told you that your Internet use in the office was being monitored. Now you've been warned you'll be fired if you use the Internet for recreational surfing again. What are your rights? Bottom Line. When you're using your office computer you have virtually no rights. You'd have a tough time convincing a court that the boss invaded your privacy by monitoring your use of the company PC on company time. You should probably be grateful you got a warning. Scenario 2 Your employees are abusing their Internet privileges but you don't have an Internet usage policy. What do you do? Bottom Line. Although the law isn't fully developed in this area courts are taking a straightforward approach: If it's a company computer the company can control the way it's used. You don't need an Internet usage policy to prevent inappropriate use of your company computers. To protect yourself in the future distribute an Internet policy to your employees as soon as possible. Scenario 3 Employee John Doe downloads adult material to his PC at work and employee Jane smith sees it. Smith then proceeds to sue the company for sexual harassment. As the employer are you liable? Bottom Line. Whether it comes from the Internet or from a magazine adult material simply has no place in the office. So Smith could certainly sue the company for making her work in a sexually hostile environment. The best defense is for the company to have an Internet usage policy that prohibits visits to adult sites. (Of course you have to follow through. If someone is looking at adult material in the office you must at least send the offending employee a written reprimand.) If the company lacks a strict Internet policy though Smith could prevail in court. Ethical Questions
Source: Adapted from James Martin. "You Are Being Watched PC World, November 1997, p. 258. Reprinted with the permission of PC World Communications Inc. |
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