US judges sitting on the ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have
requested a judicial review of surveillance measures taken to
monitor their on-line and e-mail activities. Earlier this year,
they asked for in-house monitoring practices to stop arguing that
it amounted to an invasion of their rights to privacy. They now
want to pursue their arguments at the Judicial Conference of the
United States in September when court rules are generally
discussed.
In Japan, a woman has been arrested for allegedly accessing an
e-mail account held by a fellow employee by fraudulently obtaining
her colleague’s password details. This is reported to be the first
arrest under Japanese internet privacy laws.
In the UK, it is unlawful to intercept electronic communications
unless the interception has been authorised, whether by a warrant,
by consent, or by regulations. Regulations that came into force in
October 2000 provide circumstances in which a business can lawfully
intercept e-mails, but employees must be notified of any
monitoring.
You can find out all the rules in our guide to internet and e-mail policies.
