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Spying on others

839311

Well-Known Member
Is it ethically acceptable to spy on what your employees are doing while working, including monitoring their cellphone usage and the websites they visit? Is it ethically acceptable to place secret cameras in the office?

Is it ok to spy on your child's cell phone usage and what websites they visit, including what they do on social networking sites? Is it ok to search their rooms or place cameras inside their rooms?

Is it ok to spy on other adults' private lives, including what they do in the privacy of their own homes or monitoring their internet activity?

What about spying on people who are suspected of being terrorists? What about those suspected of being involved in criminal activities online?
 

HerDotness

Lady Babbleon
Is it ethically acceptable to spy on what your employees are doing while working, including monitoring their cellphone usage and the websites they visit?

Decidedly yes. An employee is expected to use hir time productively to perform the work to be done. Making personal cellphone calls and surfing the web for sites not job-related is stealing from your employer who expects you to be using your office computer to do your work.

Is it ethically acceptable to place secret cameras in the office?

I'm undecided about this, but I assume the purpose would be to monitor employees' performance.

Is it ok to spy on your child's cell phone usage and what websites they visit, including what they do on social networking sites? Is it ok to search their rooms or place cameras inside their rooms?

Absolutely! Doing so is responsible parenting. The easy solution is not to give your child a cellphone or allow the child unlimited access to a computer.

Searching a child's room is a bit different. I think that should be something a parent would do only for a serious reason such as suspecting from the way a teenager is behaving that the child might be using illegal drugs.

Simply searching a child's room because you want to see what secret stuff they've stashed would be an invasion of privacy. Children do deserve some personal privacy within reasonable limits.

Is it ok to spy on other adults' private lives, including what they do in the privacy of their own homes or monitoring their internet activity?

Depends on who's doing the "spying" and for what reason. If it's law enforcement attempting to gather evidence to arrest and convict a drug dealer, serial killer or child pornographer...definitely. Other reasons are probably questionable and in the case of neighbors or family spying on relatives such as trying to find out if your adult child is gay, illegal.

What about spying on people who are suspected of being terrorists? What about those suspected of being involved in criminal activities online?

Within legally established limits, yes, but I do have some qualms about these in view of instances where law enforcement personnel have been found to be violating suspects' rights in order to secure an arrest more easily.
 

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.

Is it ethically acceptable to spy on what your employees are doing while working, including monitoring their cellphone usage and the websites they visit? Is it ethically acceptable to place secret cameras in the office?

It is absolutely ethical - and legal. While an employee is at work, they are supposed to be working. If they are using company equipment, it is the company's right to restrict that usage to business usage only as well. Some companies forbid any personal cell phone usage on company time. I know - it's almost unbelievable. ;)

Is it ok to spy on your child's cell phone usage and what websites they visit, including what they do on social networking sites? Is it ok to search their rooms or place cameras inside their rooms?

Yes, a parent has the right, and the responsibility, to monitor their child's activities in an age appropriate manner. (For the record, I think the camera in the kids room thing is too extreme, but I would stop short of saying it's flat out unethical). The child does not own the home - the parents do. The child usually hasn't paid for the electronic stuff - the parents do. The child is not legally responsible for what's in his/her room or for what they bring into or allow to happen in the house - but the parents are.

I've raised five teenagers - I will not bore you with a long list of what I've found in their rooms or while monitoring their lives and activities, but suffice it to say that my suspicions have ALWAYS been justified. ALWAYS. Every time.

If someone lives in my house, they will live by my rules. If they don't like those rules, they can go live somewhere else.

Is it ok to spy on other adults' private lives, including what they do in the privacy of their own homes or monitoring their internet activity?

No, unless they are doing it in my house or asking me to subsidize it in some way. But if they're on their own time, in their own home, and they are not infringing on the rights of others - most specifically me - it's their own business.

That being said, we probably need a clearer definition of "spying." Is it wrong to hire a private investigator to find out something about another adult? Not within the parameters of the law.

What about spying on people who are suspected of being terrorists? What about those suspected of being involved in criminal activities online?

Once again, we need a better definition of "spying." Also of "suspected." Who suspects the person? How did they come to this suspicion? What sort of monitoring do you consider "spying?"
 

HerDotness

Lady Babbleon
Honestly, a few of those questions struck me as the equivalent of asking, "Is it okay to audio-spy on your baby by placing a baby monitor next to the crib?"
 

Penumbra

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Is it ethically acceptable to spy on what your employees are doing while working, including monitoring their cellphone usage and the websites they visit? Is it ethically acceptable to place secret cameras in the office?
In my view, this is completely fine. I do think that in an upfront employee agreement, however, an employer should disclose that computer or company phone usage may be monitored and that the office may be monitored by the owner at any time. A smart employee should assume all of this anyway.

Is it ok to spy on your child's cell phone usage and what websites they visit, including what they do on social networking sites? Is it ok to search their rooms or place cameras inside their rooms?
As a last resort, I suppose.

Seems preferable, to me, to just raise kids so that this isn't needed. I'm not a parent, but my parents had no need for this.

Is it ok to spy on other adults' private lives, including what they do in the privacy of their own homes or monitoring their internet activity?
Assuming they break no laws, I think it's ok. I do think it's socially awkward, however, and that laws should provide citizens with a degree of privacy.

What about spying on people who are suspected of being terrorists? What about those suspected of being involved in criminal activities online?
I feel that law enforcement should be able to act within the degree of law to spy on people, and that the methods that they are allowed within the law to use should be transparent to all voters.
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
Is it ethically acceptable to spy on what your employees are doing while working, including monitoring their cellphone usage and the websites they visit? Is it ethically acceptable to place secret cameras in the office?

Is it ok to spy on your child's cell phone usage and what websites they visit, including what they do on social networking sites? Is it ok to search their rooms or place cameras inside their rooms?

Is it ok to spy on other adults' private lives, including what they do in the privacy of their own homes or monitoring their internet activity?

What about spying on people who are suspected of being terrorists? What about those suspected of being involved in criminal activities online?

Have no problems with any of it.
 

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
Is it ethically acceptable to spy on what your employees are doing while working, including monitoring their cellphone usage and the websites they visit? Is it ethically acceptable to place secret cameras in the office?
Yes for computers and phones that are company property. Cameras only if they're informed for their presence.

Is it ok to spy on your child's cell phone usage and what websites they visit, including what they do on social networking sites? Is it ok to search their rooms or place cameras inside their rooms?
Yes, except for the camera thing, which might have a negative emotional/psychological impact.

Is it ok to spy on other adults' private lives, including what they do in the privacy of their own homes or monitoring their internet activity?
Never.

What about spying on people who are suspected of being terrorists? What about those suspected of being involved in criminal activities online?

Depends on the evidence and how the investigation is conducted.
 
Decidedly yes. An employee is expected to use hir time productively to perform the work to be done. Making personal cellphone calls and surfing the web for sites not job-related is stealing from your employer who expects you to be using your office computer to do your work.
Technically this is not spying, as when a person is hired they likely sign off on a clause that allows the employer to monitor their progress electronically. Since the party being watch in effect and in a legal sense knows that they are being watched, it wouldn't really count as spying.
 

chinu

chinu
Is it ethically acceptable to spy on what your employees are doing while working, including monitoring their cellphone usage and the websites they visit? Is it ethically acceptable to place secret cameras in the office?

Is it ok to spy on your child's cell phone usage and what websites they visit, including what they do on social networking sites? Is it ok to search their rooms or place cameras inside their rooms?

Is it ok to spy on other adults' private lives, including what they do in the privacy of their own homes or monitoring their internet activity?

What about spying on people who are suspected of being terrorists? What about those suspected of being involved in criminal activities online?
In the outer world always use spy, like as scare-crows are hanged in the fields, There is no need to waste the full life time on such matters. Otherwise the one who has learned to spy his own mind, has learned to spy the whole world. :)
 
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