Using the internet at work - what your employer can find out, now, so can the government

note: this isn't about terrorism, this is about ANY federal litigation proceeding...

U.S. companies will need to keep track of all the e-mails, instant messages and other electronic documents generated by their employees thanks to new federal rules that go into effect Friday, legal experts say.

The rules, approved by the Supreme Court in April, require companies and other entities involved in federal litigation to produce "electronically stored information" as part of the discovery process, when evidence is shared by both sides before a trial.

so, add that to the already-extensive list of electronic communication and transaction information available to the government... yes, i know they "say" that such information would not be required to be produced unless federal litigation is involved, but there is absolutely no reason for me to believe that companies won't be pressured to share that information in much the same way the telcos are being pressured to share telephone calling records... the safest bet for all of us is to make the assumption that EVERY piece of personal or business communication and EVERY personal or business transaction conducted electronically by any means is available for government scrutiny at any time...

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