A report by the US based Privacy Foundation has revealed that
more than a third of US workers using on-line services regularly
are exposed to continuous e-mail and internet surveillance.
According to the report, 14 million workers are being constantly
monitored for their on-line activities in the US and on a global
scale it estimates that the numbers may reach 27 million.
In the report, the widespread use of e-mail and internet
surveillance in the workplace is primarily attributed to the low
cost of monitoring technology. It may also be influenced by a
growing awareness of the potential threat to security posed by
employees abusing internet and e-mail facilities. The research
shows that the market for surveillance software is valued at $140
million per year, which breaks down to an average cost of about
$5.25 for every individual employee monitored per year.
The position of employees regarding on-line monitoring in the US
contrasts markedly with that in the UK, where strict codes of
practice and regulations limit the powers of employers to invade
the privacy of their employees.
