News Notes: Employers’ Snooping Impacts Internet Privacy

A recent survey by the American Management Association shows that employers are stepping up their monitoring of employees’ Internet use, with 61% of employers reporting that they monitor Web surfing and 46% stating they keep tabs on e-mail. And some employers are going even further when it comes to trying to track down the identity of workers who have bad-mouthed them anonymously on the Internet. The latest case involves Rural/Metro, an Arizona-based provider of firefighting and ambulance services. The company has subpoenaed records from Yahoo, claiming false and confidential information may have been posted on a Yahoo.com message board by current or former employees.