
CHAPTER
22
Monitoring Rules and Tools
The federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) gives U.S.
employers the legal right to monitor all employee computer activity and
transmissions. The ECPA makes clear the fact that the organization’s
computer system is the property of the employer, and employees have
absolutely no reasonable expectation of privacy when using company
computer systems, tools, and technologies.
Courts in the United States have consistently ruled that employees
should assume their computer activity is being watched—even if they
have not been formally notified of monitoring. The courts generally sup-
port the position that informed ...