Following up our class discussion today, one issue that wasn't really talked about was the ability of businesses to monitor e-mail. Should e-mail be monitored? Under what circumstances does it make it okay to punish an offender? Not only is the moral issue of monitoring e-mail gray, but the legality is too, which is why internet and computer law is becoming a hotter and hotter field.
Part of the philosophy of whether or not one should monitor employees and punish offenders comes from precautionary vs. proactive ideas. Let's say that for the second time, an important trade secret has been leaked or even sold to a competitor. What is the right choice to make when solving this problem? Should one monitor all employees heavily or write it off as a necessary evil?
Legally, the area of computers as property is still somewhat debatable. Some courts rule that the computer is like a box; once you open it you've broken and entered into an area needing a warrant. Others view each folder like individual boxes; each one requiring its own warrant.
Egregious violations of common workplace morals should be punished with question, i.e. pornography. Is the type of pornography bad enough to get someone fired? A warning? Most, if not all workplaces take a categorical imperative approach, that is to say that viewing of pornography disrupts the workplace as a whole.
It will be interesting to see how this area of law and morals is shaped as the world becomes increasingly flatter.
