Companies Told to Store Employee IMs

For those of you who visit ATS from work.... be careful what you say!!!!

New rule says financial firms must hold on to chat records for three years.

Scarlet Pruitt, IDG News Service
Thursday, June 19, 2003

U.S. securities regulators put a further onus on financial firms to keep records of their business this week, this time focusing on the increasingly popular form of communication known as instant messaging.

The National Association of Securities Dealers informed its roughly 5300 brokerage-firm members Wednesday that they must retain their IM records for at least three years. Under federal law, every securities firm doing business with the U.S. public must be a member of NASD.

www.pcworld.com...

You don't think the Stock scandel involving Martha S., among others, is the motivator behind this do ya?

Methinks it played a part.

Seems 'Big Brother' theories are getting more crediable by the week.

regards
seekerof

I am wondering how long (if its not happening already) till every keystroke we make on our computer, regardless of at home or at work, is recorded "just in case" it might be needed against us....

I don't know. But this really doesn't bother me. When I go to work I know very well that I am on their clock, on their pooter and that they have every right to clock every move I make. That's the name of the game and I agree to the rules every time I cash my check.

Good news is, no matter how nosey they get, I've figured out life is a lot better WITH them, than WITHOUT them...

Well, its their computer, their internet connection, and their time. Read your company's policy.

Freddie couldn't have said it any better. The deal is this: it's not your computer, it's not your internet connection, it's not your office, and you're being paid to be there and do work. That's it. You don't have a right to anything in that respect. Are you going to tell me you have a right to download porn at work because it's your freedom to do so? NO. If their rules are that your outgoing internet communications are to be monitored, well then you'll have to sign the paper that says you understand that. If you don't like it, hey man, don't work there.

Now if you're worried about IMs and the like...
enterprise.netscape.com...
The above link describes AIM enterprise which will allow for such monitoring of IMs in a working environment. What the employer chooses to do with that is their business. Maybe they want to know if people are doing insider trading, maybe they want to be alerted if key words are mentioned from work, who knows. It's their right to do it, it's their office and their workplace.

It doesn't matter how you feel on this topic. It's 100% legal to record conversations, emails, etc. in offices excanged between employees. You are NOT in your home. You are NOT paying for your offices connection. You are there to work. The logging is NOT setup so they can get their cookies off reading your emails from your ex-wife demanding this months child support. It's not there so they can see how your stock shares are doing. And it sure as hell isn't there for them to see all the wonderful mail from the porn sites you have. There are MANY concerns these days with employers, between inside trading and embezzlement, these issues have to be monitored for closely. However, you DO have to be aware that the employer IS logging, and you HAVE to be aware of what they are logging. That should have been taken care of when you signed your wonderful stack of papers when you were hired, which most of you probably neglected to even read it. Not to mention, we ARE still at a state of war. That brings up an entirely new set of laws. When in a state of war, rules/laws change drasticly. They no longer even need propable cause to search you. That was abolished a few months ago, to be exact. And why would you be worried about this anyway? Are you hiding something? Spending a little too much time goofing off at work? Just do your work and go home. It's plain and simple. That or quit your job.

I agree with you point about you being at work. But ur argument could be used againsint u in other places than work. What about internet hotspots for wireless notebooks. Its not you internet connection but its being offered to you would they have the right to track you if you were on that???

they're gonna get really overloaded with some great scripts to submit to penthouse...

The fact is that it is being provided to you at THEIR expense. So yes, they have the right to monitor it. And, even if you paid for it? If it says in the contract that they hold the right to monitor, and you sign it? Then you have the right to monitor.

I know at my place of employment I give every new employee a form to sign that states they are using our machines for business purposes only and all that sort of fun legal language. If they wish to work here, they sign it. If not, oh well. But yes, in that form they are notified that they have no right to use the machines for their own purposes.

Originally posted by Djarums
I know at my place of employment I give every new employee a form to sign that states they are using our machines for business purposes only and all that sort of fun legal language. If they wish to work here, they sign it. If not, oh well. But yes, in that form they are notified that they have no right to use the machines for their own purposes.

So do you happen to be at work right now?

lol now this is a good question

i suppose it all depends on what each member of staff does for a living and is supposed to be aware of hehe

Thankfully I will never have that problem!



Sky

if you agree with this w=then that would establish there right to listen onto ur phone calls