Big Brother Is Legally Watching: an Insight Into Workplace Surveilance

Did you know that 58% of employers have fired workers for Internet and email misuse? And 48% justify employee video monitoring as an effort to “counter theft and violence?” According to the “2007 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey” of which 304 U.S. companies participated in, computer-monitoring results have led to the highest cause of employee termination. These companies used several tactics to eavesdrop on employees while claiming to be managing productivity or for security purposes. Some argue that surveillance is absolutely necessary to help protect and grow a business; others argue that employee and customer rights come first. However, companies that use such tactics often violate the privacy of individuals, exploit their private information and even punish those that do not conform to their standards.

The use of surveillance is becoming increasingly evident around the world. Surveillance is carried out in many different forms from simple methods such as video surveillance to more complex methods such as call and browser monitoring. Although it might seem that surveillance is undeniably convenient when pursuing a criminal or preventing a terrorist attack, it is often misused and many are beginning to question why there

1. Use of on premise security cameras to spy on the activities of fellow employees

Workplace privacy is one of the biggest issues facing businesses today. Do you feel like you are being watched all the time, all your e-mails being read, and every key stroke is being monitored by your boss? Some people feel this way and that is why privacy in the workplace is a problem with many businesses today. Employees feel like they are not being trusted, or feel the company invades on their personal privacy, or violates their fourth amendment rights. On the other hand many businesses have many federal and state laws to follow, and must keep their assets safe, and their employees. Technology makes communications of all sorts as easy as a few pushes of a button. This technology makes it

Electronic monitoring has seen a tremendous growth in the workplace, in the past 10 years. The National Work Rights Institute

As part of our service to our gracious client; Juggernaut Industries we have provided a set of policies and procedures in relation to Workplace Privacy. We encourage you to use this as a guide so you can formulate your own workplace surveillance policy, in the near future. Please note that we will focus upon workplace ‘surveillance’ within the context of workplace privacy. This template of the policy and procedure outline also quotes the Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 (NSW) and is directly bound by this legislation.

In the text “A Surveillance Society,”, authors William E. Thompson and Joseph V. Hickey provided information about growing surveillance trends, new types of technology, and the impact of the surveillance. First, many surveillance trends are becoming more popular all throughout the world. Today, there are cameras everywhere you go, whether it is on the streets or in grocery stores, almost all of the time people are being watched. Since the technology of surveillance is more common, a lot of people are being photographed many times during the day. Even if it is not a photograph of your face, the cameras can photograph your license plate and link the car back to you. A main reason these surveillance trends are growing

The government gains control by distilling fear in the lives of individuals. This is exhibited when it is mentioned, “Big Brother IS WATCHING YOU” (Orwell). It is made to believe that every private and public place is subject to cameras, which creates the illusion that all of the citizen’s actions are susceptible to tracking devices. The idea of cameras allowing “Big Brother” to watch all the citizens, dissuades them from acting in a specific manner. Despite this being a false, unjustified claim, it proves to be an effective instrument in maintaining order. Correspondingly, in today’s society, individuals are made to believe that every doubtful action one makes online is liable to tracking methods. A new program of the National Security Agency “…allows analysts to search with no prior authorization through vast databases containing emails, online chats and the browsing histories of millions of individuals…” (Greenwald). The National Security Agency promotes violates the privacy of citizens. Therefore, the novel and today’s society share similarities in regards to the governments controlling demeanour, which conducts fear in those individuals who even dare commit any

As a youngster, I was told Big Brother or the government is always watching you and Big Brother’s reach in America has gotten wider since 9/11. National security and safety is of the utmost importance and government agencies like the police, FBI and numerous other government agencies are gathering and retaining data on individuals who are not even a threat. Many Americans believe that the invasion of privacy is deteriorating our freedom. New technology empowers government to track, record, and analyze ever detail of our lives, even our most private information. Big Brother has our personal demographic information and massive government surveillance systems throughout the country collect data from our cars, phone, computer, web cams, social

Coming from the twenty first century, the growing number of people in the Tech industry pushes the limits of having people have as much privacy and security as possible. Just like the Big Brothers' world he has created, having telescreen everywhere, we have cameras that have eyes on our movements all throughout our daily motions. Big Brother has limited the way people live in their virtual world. Ranging from the Government having their selfish eyes on our daily activities, these led to our world also openly accept these types of anti privacy we humans should need. The world of Big Brother has approached us faster than we know it, and technology is at its peak to comparing to the book of 1984.

Beginning with the book, Big Brother’s mass surveillance of the people is like the National Security Agency (NSA) of America in the 21st century. In the text, the telescreens are said to be able to “received and transmitted simultaneously” and any noise “above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it”. The use of the telescreens by Big Brother shows how the mass surveillance works and how everyone is capable of being monitored. In 2015, 64% of the adults in America owned a smartphone. Up to 84% of American households have a computer and 73% have both a computer and internet

Businesses putting in cameras and monitoring computers are not uncommon now a days. Observing the work area and its employees allows employers to find out who works and who doesn 't. Well-placed cameras and software helps companies detect and identify any employees who may be stealing company property or slacking off on work computers. A 2005 survey by the American Management Association showed that more than half of the employers use video surveillance at work to counter theft, violence, or sabotage (AMA 2010). And 16% of the employers surveyed used video surveillance to monitor employee performance (AMA 2010). When talking about property damage, having the surveillance cameras monitored by security personnel greatly increases the chance of catching anyone misusing or stealing company

The advancement in the technology is believed by the employees’ as actions to limit their privacy by the employers. Henceforth, workplace surveillance creates a legal issue in the work environment. The employees’ believe that their rights get violated when their employer keep a close watch on their activities.

In England and Europe the use of video surveillance has been routine for years. It has only started gaining in popularity and use in the United States in recent years. The technology of video surveillance allows individuals to be observed without their knowledge in stores, at the ATM, in elevators, in restaurants, in school hallways, and when stopped by police in patrol cars.

It has been proved that computers help a business ease its activities such as record keeping, monitoring employees and word processing among others. However, the use of computers in the workplace breeds concerns such as security threats and privacy issues. Computer systems are not only prone to hackers but also other security issues that may compromise the company’s activities and social integrity. The research will probe into some of the advantages and disadvantages of computer surveillance.