Your boss at work can spy on your laptop.

Discussion in 'Civil Rights' started by James7, Nov 5, 2021.

  1. James7

    James7 Active Member

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    As a result of remote working, bosses at work can now monitor what you are doing on your laptop even out of hours. A truly Orwellian invasion of privacy. Here's the article on the BBC online:

    'The way my boss monitored me at home was creepy'

    We're all being conditioned these days to accept such behaviour as 'normal'. However the legality of such practices is open to question.

    What, for example, if an employee put some remote monitoring software on his bosses laptop such that the employee could see everything his boss was doing, even in his spare time? The employee would expect to end up in court. Yet in this regard his boss can do whatever he likes.

    And don't forget your boss is potentially spying on female employees as well.
     
  2. Hoosier8

    Hoosier8 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The company I work at closely monitors work related PCs. Don’t like it, buy your own.
     
    Last edited: Nov 5, 2021
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  3. drluggit

    drluggit Well-Known Member

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    I honestly don't think the OP understands what "monitoring" is, nor did the BBC hacks who wrote the article.
     
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  4. joesnagg

    joesnagg Banned

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    Little Brother is watching you....:omfg:
     
  5. Chrizton

    Chrizton Well-Known Member

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    Don't use your company laptop for porn or to do your CV and cover letters you are sending out to other companies looking for a new job. Beyond that, when you remotely access your work computer, you are working on your work computer even if through your personal device. When you have a company owned device, don't be surprised if they know everything you do with it. They can also back that device up to servers and lock you out of it remotely faster than you can turn it on and log in if they bothered to invest in that capability.
     
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  6. dharbert

    dharbert Well-Known Member

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    This is no different than a employer using a GPS tracker in a company owned vehicle that you are driving. If you dont want to be tracked, use your own vehicle and laptop, and don't attend to personal business or write private emails on company time.
     
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  7. dharbert

    dharbert Well-Known Member

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    If you are that worried about your employer spying on you after hours on a company computer, then disable the microphone and cover up the camera with a piece of electrical tape.
     
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  8. Maquiscat

    Maquiscat Well-Known Member

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    If they own the laptop, then it is their right to put restrictions and monitoring on it. However, under most laws, they are required to notify you. If you don't pay attention to that piece of paper you signed, that's your problem.

    If the computer is your own, all they are allowed to monitor, or should be, is when you access remotely the programs you use for work. They can't require you to install the software on your own computer, as you may not own one.
     
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  9. Dirty Rotten Imbecile

    Dirty Rotten Imbecile Well-Known Member

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    I work from home.

    My employer entrusted me with a lap top so I can work on it. They can see what I watch on you tube on their laptop, but don’t really care.

    Fortunately I have my own laptop sitting right beside their lap top. I also have an iPad, an iPhone, a PS4 and an Apple TV in my office.

    I am not sure why I would use their bunk lap top for anything other than work.
     
  10. MJ Davies

    MJ Davies Well-Known Member

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    This is not new. They have been spying on your computer at the office and in the field.

    They also track phone calls and GPS locations. None of that is "legally" spying. It's their property.

    They are paying you to do whatever thing you do so they have a right to do "spot checks" to make sure you are where you're supposed be, calling who you should be calling and surfing where you should be surfing.

    ETA: I'm not sure what you're implying about them spying on female employees. Why does that deserve a separate sentence?
     
    Last edited: Nov 5, 2021
  11. Junkieturtle

    Junkieturtle Well-Known Member Donor

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    Sounds like something written by folks who didn't seem to realize that a company can monitor what's happening on their property.

    I work from home and have been provided with a company laptop and cell phone. I don't do anything personal on the laptop, and the most I'll do on the phone is check the weather and possibly look up restaurants while on the road. Granted, it's a hipster junk iphone so I don't use it for a second longer than I need to anyway, but that's beside the point.
     
  12. James7

    James7 Active Member

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    The individual interviewed in the article speaks of personal laptops linked to a company server:

    And despite of using a personal device it was claimed the company could still see their leisure time usage of their device:

    Did you take the time to read the detail in the main body of the article rather than just the headline?
     
  13. James7

    James7 Active Member

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    Read my reply above to Hoosier8 in post #12.
     
  14. James7

    James7 Active Member

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    Take the time to read the content of the main body of the article besides just the headline.

    Read my reply above to Hoosier8 in post #12.
     
  15. Mircea

    Mircea Well-Known Member

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    You have no privacy. Your employer gave you the laptop for work use. The laptop belongs to your employer, not you, and your employer has every right to monitor your activities on the laptop that it owns.

    The Constitution is a contract between you and government, your employer and government and me and government, but there is no contract between you and your employer or between you and me.
     
  16. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    always been that way, why one should not use a work laptop for private use

    the employee does not own the bosses laptop

    same with using work email

    not only can the boss see those emails, but people suing the company can get access to them

    don't trust the boss with your laptop camera, put a piece of gray tape over it (low tech and cheap)
     
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2021
  17. James7

    James7 Active Member

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    Again, this is what the article quoted in my opening post said:

    You lot need a good, strong cup of coffee.
     
  18. Mircea

    Mircea Well-Known Member

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    Um, the BBC is the British Broadcasting Corporation. The operand is "British."

    Britain does not have a constitution like the US does and they have nothing akin to our Bill of Rights and their labor laws are differently twisted.
     
  19. James7

    James7 Active Member

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    Okay. So what point are you making?
     
  20. Maquiscat

    Maquiscat Well-Known Member

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    To be fair, you mentioned the Constitution in the previous post and then went on how the UK doesn't have a constitution. So you're kinda jumping all over the place here.
     
  21. Maquiscat

    Maquiscat Well-Known Member

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    That under UK law they don't necessarily have the privacy rights that US citizens have.
     
  22. Jolly Penguin

    Jolly Penguin Well-Known Member

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    It always amazes me how oblivious people can be. It doesn't take much to stop people from using your computer to spy on you. And it could be anyone, not just an employer.

    Simply disconnect the webcam, or place a small bit of masking tape over the lens.

    Easy peasy. You can also get bedroom curtains so people can't see in your window.
     

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