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Protecting electronic information — South Carolina

Employers are currently impacted by both an increased governmental presence in the workplace and the existence of the Internet. Most employees now have access to a relatively unregulated digital domain on their computers in which they can access content that may be inappropriate for the work environment and that may easily distract them from their jobs. The ease of electronic mail can lead to harassment claims. Communications by e-mail have replaced memos, letters, telephone conversations and even in-person conversations. Blogs, if not managed properly, may disclose internal company business or inadvertently disclose confidential matters. Internet access presents the risk of copyright and trademark infringement litigation. With these issues in mind, this chapter will address some of the most serious and pressing aspects of operating a company in the Internet age.

Monitoring employee use of the Internet

Given the threat of employee disloyalty, espionage and theft, employers are increasingly using a variety of monitoring techniques to keep employees in line. Surveillance of employees raises a host of privacy concerns and potential liability for employers.

Many employers feel that surveillance of employees is not only an effective tool to combat such things as employee espionage and theft, but...


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