Not so shockingly, I guess, is this news today: Your boss is already probably monitoring your text messages. More than two-thirds of all employers use software that flags racy photos sent via work phone, and if you send a text that could contain a company secret, they'll catch that too.
It's perfectly legal. The Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that employers can eavesdrop, as long as it's for a work-related purpose. (A broad definition.) And you probably signed a 50-page letter of consent at some point, too.
From Quartz:
Employers in the US and in many European countries must obtain the consent of workers to monitor texts and other electronic information. Typically that means “some notice posted somewhere, (possibly in a manual or before an employee uses the computer,” said David Jacobs, consumer protection counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “Once the employee agrees, almost anything is fair game.”
[Former Yammer executive Jim] Patterson said to treat company texts like email, only shorter. “Don’t text or email anything you wouldn’t want your boss seeing. That’s the safest course of action.”
Or if you want to duck the text reading altogether? Your best bet, Jacobs said, is to use your personal phone. Researchers say employers are far less likely to track you on BYOD-smartphones than on company issued ones.
Wait. There's still a possibility that your personal phone might be tracked too? Christ. I feel like Tweek right now.
[H/T: Quartz]
“