electronic communications & the legal implications ian tranter partner, employment department...
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ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
& THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
& THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
Ian TranterPartner, Employment
Department
Ian TranterPartner, Employment
Department
THE RISKS: This day and age
• Workplace culture
• No privacy law
• Conflict of interest
• Privacy of the Employer
• Monitoring/Surveillance
THE RISKS: Real Issues I
• Unintentional binding contracts
• e-mail harassment/vicarious liability
• downloading pornography
• down time/unauthorised use
THE RISKS: Real Issues II
• Defamation
• Disclosure
• Breaches of Confidentiality
LIMITATION OF RISK:
• in writing• binding• specify uses• prohibitions• access
• expectation• deletion• sanctions• monitoring• privacy rules
The Acceptable Use Policy
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
• Formally accepting the A.U.P
• Nominated arbitrator
• Dunn -v- IBM (UK) Ltd
• Compliance & Monitoring
• Halford -v- United Kingdom
MONITORING COMPLIANCE
Achieving the balance
Protecting Business Needs
-v-
Expectation of Privacy
MONITORING COMPLIANCE
• The European Convention on Human Rights• The Human Rights Act 1998• The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
2000• The Telecommunications Act (Lawful
Business Practice)(Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000
• The Data Protection Act 1998
MONITORING COMPLIANCE
The Human Rights Act 1998
• does not apply to individual employers
• indirect effect via courts
• no absolute right to privacy (Halford -v- UK)
• ECHR exceptions protects monitoring
• proportionality
MONITORING COMPLIANCE
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (“RIPA”)
• governs the interpretation and monitoring of communications
• unlawful to intercept without consent
• difficulty in obtaining consent
MONITORING COMPLIANCE
The Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice)(Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000 (“LBP Regs”)
• authorises monitoring under RIPA
• advance warning to employees…
• …no consent required…
• … but only for the purpose of...
MONITORING COMMUNICATIONS
(LBP Regs - continued)
• Recording evidence of business transactions
• Compliance with regulatory obligations
• Effectively operating employer’s systems
• Standards of training and service
• Preventing/detecting criminal activity
• Preventing unauthorised use of the system
MONITORING COMPLIANCE
The Data Protection Act 1998
• interception = “data processing”• the Codes of Practice (Pt 3 “monitoring at work”)• Limit monitoring to traffic data rather than content• Spot checks rather than continuous monitoring• Automated monitoring/restricted circulation• Target monitoring areas of high risk
CREATING A BALANCED CULTURE
• Formulate an AUP
• Sanctions
• Explain and Educate
• Update the AUP
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
& THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
& THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
Ian TranterPartner, Employment
Department
Ian TranterPartner, Employment
Department