RIM records all employee calls

RIM records all employee calls

www.zdnet.com.au

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion admitted yesterday that it recorded all employee conversations in the interest of maintaining control over intellectual property.
RIM chief information officer Robin Bienfait, during an interview with ZDNet.com.au in Sydney, said that all actions carried out on RIM's internal network were logged, which meant that people who wanted to carry out private conversations might want to bring in personal devices.
"Everything I have that's on RIM is recorded and retained as RIM. So if they want to have a chat with somebody and it's not a chat that's within RIM's domain, then they may want their own personal device," she said.

When asked exactly whether it was conversations, rather than just written information she kept tabs on, Bienfait answered: "Everything. I record everything."

(visit the link for the full news article)

She adds that noone's privacy is violated and that
Sometimes breaches have occurred.
referring to pre-release beta devices info and photo's being sneaked /leaked off the campus.

So basically, every computer key strike or mouse click, telephone conversation, text message, etc...is recorded.

If the employees should bring personal devices, this could pose a problem with alleging a crime should a determination of what is on or sent from a personal device and could arbitrarily cause people to be victims of this policy.

It is a short step to this type of 100% recording of things to move into Government. Big Brother could soon be called Nephelim Brother.

I don't like the sound of this and the precident it may bring for others to follow suit.

www.zdnet.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

There is only one technology company you can trust and that is Microsoft, no other company in under as much scrutiny for privacy and anti-trust than Microsoft.

People not to trust (because they're able to get away with so much privacy and monopoly abuse) : Apple, Google, RIM, IBM

While in principal I do think this kind of oversight is abhorent, I can't say that it surprises me. And in being honest with myself, and knowing my friends and colleagues who tend to use their workstations as glorified Facebooks there is a marginal amount of justification for such as decision. It could be argued that they wish to maximize productivity during the clinch.

What angers me is the following:

When asked exactly whether it was conversations, rather than just written information she kept tabs on, Bienfait answered: "Everything. I record everything."

It would be wiser for Bienfait to communicate or perhaps warn her employees that their personal lives are being digitalized rather than being forced to admit it in public and anger many people, and potentially harm the firm and her own interests.

RIM would do well to re-evaluate their shadowy operations or make give everyone a second chance, wiping the record clean now that they know what to expect.

[edit on 5-3-2009 by Oscitate]

Originally posted by spitefulgod
There is only one technology company you can trust and that is Microsoft

No.