A better way which avoids this sort of problem is for the monitoring
software to email the intended recipient to say that "a message with
potentially offensive wording from so-and-so with this subject has been
received. Please ask IT if you wish to receive this message."
Responsibility passed to a human being and the right result received.
Combined with a good "spam" filter working on the same principles, this is a
robust yet not silly environment.
Regards
Jim
=========================================================
-----Original Message-----
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tinsley, Chris
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 9:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [data-protection] Monitoring for Swear words
Did any one see this article about the perils of monitoring for Swear words
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/30/uemail.x
ml
We have recently been told at WCC that ICT are now monitoring for "swear"
words at the email gateway. At WCC we have a policy which allows limited
private use of email as long as it is not offensive or inappropriate.
Offensiveness and inappropriateness is in the eye of the beholder, words
between friends will have differing appropriateness than words between
customers and clients.
The list of words which are block has not been published (probably to avoid
offending staff).
Do people think that a policy which automatically monitors and blocks
private as well as business emails using a list of words considered
inappropriate is a good idea?
I can see all sorts of issues with DP and Monitoring policy and with Article
8 of Human Rights
An interest side effect of this is that we monitor all email between WCC and
the public but not monitor internal emails, so we are expecting higher
standards of behaviour from the public than our employees.
Chris Tinsley
Wiltshire County Council
**********************************************************************
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.
This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by
MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.
www.mimesweeper.com
**********************************************************************
Please do not print out this e-mail unless absolutely necessary. Save energy
and paper!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
available to the world wide web community at large at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html
If you wish to leave this list please send the command
leave data-protection to [log in to unmask]
All user commands can be found at : -
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm
Any queries about sending or receiving message please send to the list owner
[log in to unmask]
(all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
available to the world wide web community at large at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html
If you wish to leave this list please send the command
leave data-protection to [log in to unmask]
All user commands can be found at : -
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm
Any queries about sending or receiving message please send to the list owner
[log in to unmask]
(all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|