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Date: 2001-01-10
NL: Etwas ist faul im Ueberwachungsstaat
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Wieder eine Hiobsbotschaft aus Holland, wo Europaweit
ganz offenbar die faulsten Kompromisse zwischen
Datenschützern und Abhöreren gesellschaftsfähig sind .
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AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) _ A government advisory
body on Tuesday recommended legislation that would give
companies the right to read staff e-mail and screen internet
use.
The long-awaited proposals for regulating electronic privacy
issues will shape industry standards under draft laws
expected to take effect April 1.
The Hague-based Data Protection Authority, the
government's leading advisory body on privacy issues, called
for ``balanced'' rules as it published a report on how the state
can protect employee rights and enable businesses to curb
misuse of computers.
The conclusions are not binding, but experts said they could
lay the foundation for privacy laws across Europe.
Under the proposal, both e-mail and internet may be subject
to monitoring, a summary of the report says, if certain
conditions are met.
``A company cannot continuously monitor the behavior of an
employee, unless they are suspected of misconduct,'' said
agency spokesman Rudy Schreijnders.
...
``The legislation is abstract, so each company would have to
fill in the details,'' Schreijnders told The Associated Press.
Companies could set time limits for internet use or ban
specific websites, he suggested. ``A staff member could then
be asked to explain higher than permitted levels of internet
use.
...
Rik van Steenbergen, a specialist in employees rights at the
largest Dutch trade union FNV, welcomed the report, saying
it will create clarity for both sides.
``You cannot say that privacy will be protected, but it will be
very clear what the rules are,'' van Steenbergen said. ``The
invasion of privacy has to be justified.''
The critical part of the proposal, van Steenbergen added, is a
clause classifying e-mail and internet use in the same
category as ordinary mail or telephone calls.
Because no distinction is made between online and off line
communications, he said, an employee cannot be punished
for something said in an e-mail. ``It would be like opening a
letter addressed to someone else,'' he said.
...
While preparing the report, Steenbergen said the agency
tried to balance the need for a company to protect corporate
secrets and reputation while protecting employees rights to
freedom of expression, access to information and privacy.
Source AP
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edited by Harkank
published on: 2001-01-10
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