John Hanson GBSAFE00 SAFEWAY 2-4 Xtn 3179 wrote:
> 
> Here's a news item I received today:
> 
> Marks & Spencer
> 
> 'Leaping aboard the e-commerce virtual bandwagon, Marks &
>  Spencer  is  launching a trial scheme to sell clothes to
>  80,000  BT staff and their families over BT's in-house
>  intranet'. (DAILY MAIL)
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Another ownership issue ? Any opinions as to the likelihood that
> when presented with an e-mail or intranet facility, every member
> of staff was told they may receive "host mailings" through it ?
> 
> If they weren't, would it be necessary to give each staff member
> the right to object, or is that a Company decision ?
> 
> .... all assuming of course that at least some of the advertising
> is overt and not just passive intranet web pages
> 
> My own opinion is that although "work address/telephone" are considered
> Personal Data, that's only because they have meaning outside work environs.
> If E-mail and IP addresses are not being opened up to wider Internet
> I don't see that the employee has any claim to misuse of Personal Data, nor a
> right to object.
> 
> Of course if the advertising is selective in some way then there is cause for
> concern.
> 
> The future of advertising ?
> 
> comments/opinions invited ...
> 
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> 
>       John Hanson
> 
>       Information Security

Presumably, since it is a host "mailing", no data passed from the
employer to the company and no privacy rights are violated. That, it
seems to me, would be the answer to the legal question. However, I must
say that I am puzzled that an employer would want their employees
distracted by SPAM. Certainly most US companies I know do their best to
filter it out at the server side, and certainly wouldn't jump at
creating a distraction like this. No doubt the company will get enough
feedback from its employees that it will probably stop it. Having an
intranet "opt-out" list from employees who don't want unsolicited
commercial messages would be the least they could do.The issues that pop
up should convince them that they are on a slippery slope of innumerable
issues that they don't need.
-- 
Charles A. Prescott
Vice President, International Business Development 
and Government Affairs
Direct Marketing Association
1120 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
U.S.A.

Tel. (1) 212-790-1552
Fax. (1) 212-790-1499
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website: www.the-dma.org



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