As mentioned in previous posts, the amount of impact the internet has on our lives is enormous. Every little thing you do, be it a post or a something you search for, plays an important role in how you use the internet. This is because your employer can spy on you in many different ways. Your employer is capable of checking your searches within the company computer you are using and can perform monitor searches. These two things can be done through the company’s bandwidth, which is very unsettling to those working in an office now that they’re aware their employer is potentially spying on them.
Despite this being unethical, not using the internet carefully can potentially be very damaging. One case is Justine Sacco’s Tweet, which got Justine fired for posting a racist tweet without considering who could see the tweet. Another similar incident occurred when Sir John Sawer’s cover was blown because his wife posted family pictures on Facebook without changing any of the privacy settings. One thing led to another and all of London was able to see all the photos the former chief of MI6’s wife had posted onto Facebook.
Here is a video which shows an example of what happens when you don’t mark your posts as private and are not careful about what you post on the internet.
It is unethical how your employer can spy on you and look you up on google, but I believe it is necessary for the employers to make sure they know who they’re hiring and monitoring their progress in the office. Though its unfair that my employer can spy on what I’m searching while at work, but I shouldn’t be surfing through Facebook, I should be getting those required tasks done as soon as possible. Though it is a little bit harsh to argue against someone’s privacy, that same individual isn’t paid to come to work to surf Facebook.
On the other hand, for people like Justine Sacco and Sir John Sawers to be subject to such scrutiny, they had it coming. Not so much John Sawers as it was his wife’s fault, but Justine Sacco should’ve never posted that Tweet as Tweets and status updates are so easily accessible by so many different people. By not making the most of your privacy settings and posting on social media with caution, incidents like the ones mentioned above can be avoided.
Word Count: 404
References:
How social media can ruin your career, video, KroesKontroltv, 15 March 2013. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CImhaCY1YP4 [Accessed 21 November 2015]
Litty, M. (2014) 6 Ways Your Employer Can Legally Spy on You, Recruiter. Available from: https://www.recruiter.com/i/6-ways-your-employer-can-legally-spy-on-you/ [Accessed 20 November 2015]
Ronson, J. (2015) How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life, The New York Times. Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html?module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Magazine&action=keypress®ion=FixedLeft&pgtype=article&_r=3{Accessed 20 November 2015]
Sengupta, K. (2011) A spy in Speedos: Wife blows cover of MI6 chief on Facebook, The Independent. Available from: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/a-spy-in-speedos-wife-blows-cover-of-mi6-chief-on-facebook-1732759.html [Accessed 20 November 2015]
Siciliano, R. (2015) Be careful what You post in Social Media, LinkedIn. Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/careful-what-you-post-social-media-robert-siciliano [Accessed 21 November 2015]
maxcordery 
Hey Max,
I always knew employers could monitor what you do online just like they monitor what you do in the building with cctv but I had no idea the lengths some companies go to. It’s worrying they think it’s ok.
Does their ability to monitor you on their bandwidth extend to your personal phone if it was connected or is it only for work phones and computers?
I agree, the extent to which some employers monitor employees is definitely unethical, at the same time a little monitoring is warranted. I have no problem with an employer searching for a potential employee online but I think it goes too far to continue searching them, however frequent once they become an employee. How do you feel about it?
You say Justine Sacco ‘had it coming’ I completely disagree with that. She lost her job and received a lot of threats to cause her physical harm. Did she really have that coming?
I see the point you’re making about posting on social media with caution but we also need to use caution when we judge others. We may not have the full story.
You may change your position on Justine Sacco once you’ve watched this video, let me know.
Thanks
Leah
LikeLike
Hi Leah,
If you are on the company bandwidth, depending on the provider, the company can look at what you search through your phone since you are on company bandwidth.
Even though unethical, searching or googling a potential employee can help the employer grasp a better picture of the person they’ll be potentially hiring. The internet makes it so easy for that to happen, so the employers can search all they like.
In terms of what I said about Justine Sacco, the reason I said that (couldn’t elaborate in the post) is because social media acts a screen so people can ‘troll’ and chastise what they like without feeling bad. Adding to that, racism is a very sensitive subject in which almost anyone will react severely to something that is racist, joke or not. Because it is so sensitive, I feel that it gives people the right to brutally shoot down someone like a lot of people did to Justine Sacco on twitter. Even though I do understand the scenario after watching the video, I still think that what happened to Justine will happen to anyone who does that due to the nature of the joke and how social media can spread so quickly.
Thanks for your comment!
Max
LikeLike
Wow! That’s definitely unethical and I doubt many employers let the employees know that they can monitor their personal phones. I can understand employers wanting to monitor company property but personal property if a step too far.
I agree with what you’re saying we should not stand by and do nothing and I do not advocate that but as I said on my blog two wrongs don’t make it right. Justine did deserve to be told what she did was wrong but the threats on her life were also wrong and she didn’t deserve that.
Thanks for the reply
Leah
LikeLike
Totally with Leah here. It might have been better if her employer had acknowledged the mistake she made, and then gone on to say that she was being re-trained and would resume her tweeting under a different name to give herself a fresh start. How much more positive for all concerned would that have been?
LikeLike
Hi Max,
I agree with you that it is unethical how your employer can spy on you but employer need to check whether employe are working but not surf the facebook or tumble. But in my opinion, I think it is ok that employer could spy on employe whether surf the internet but not what details they are searching for.
What’s more, I think our online speech is free. It is ok that whatever we say. And it could go back to the topic 2, it is good or bad that we have many online identities? What I mentioned in my topic 2 blog is if I want to say something on the internet but a little bit radical, does it better have different online identity?
Thank you.
LikeLike