So the Feds are saying that we need to change the Telecommunications Act so that bosses can monitor all the activities of your office PC, like employee emails and actions while on social networking sites. Why? So we can catch terrorists and ensure that they do not knock out our major areas of electronic infrastructure…
How will this be different from the office IT department being in the know about personal information you are looking at while using your office PC? Well, I guess the government is larger, able to put you in jail and run a tax audit. However your office IT department is closer to your desk, and more embarrassing when you meet them at the water cooler and they pass on their condolences about your relationship breaking up on the weekend.
The bottom line is your personal details, when maintained on an office PC, are not private. If you want privacy, purchase your own PC and internet connection, then you can lock it down with anti-virus, firewalls and everything else under the sun to ensure your information stays yours.
I do however think it’s a good idea to be revisiting the Telecommunications Act. Apart from allowing for snoops to search for online terrorist activities, what else can we recommend to the Feds for inclusion in the act when these changes are made? Here are a couple of my ideas:
– The prosecution of Cyber Bullies?
– Those annoying Mobile content people who ring your phone and hang up, then when you call them back they offer some rubbish java game in return for ringing their 1900 number – can we outlaw this?
– Broadband providers who sell us into a really low priced internet plan and then charge their customers hundreds of dollars for going over their monthly data allowance. Can we add something about that practice?
Well, I have got you started – make your recommendations and I will email them over to the Feds for potential inclusion in Telco Act revision.