Corporate Investigative Ethics

[steambender]

Most medium to large companies reserve the right to inspect whatever it is you bring into or take out of, the company facilities, purses, briefcases, lunchboxes etc. In the electronic age they also reserve the right to limit your bringing in devices capable of recording and storing information. Connecting to the internet through a company network places you squarely within their right to examine and limit what you are doing, they are in fact, liable. They also own the internal phone system, and can legally regulate your use of that resource. If you want to surf with your personal laptop at work, try and get the local Starbucks WLAN, or use the company internet connection and follow their rules. Don't like it, get a job somewhere else. Bruce mentions the government contractor angle, private R&D labs are just as bad.

Mostly our employers tolerate our casual personal use of their resources, but don't kid yourself, they can legally bring the hammer down anytime they choose. It's part of the contract we sign when we accept the employment offer.