US COMPUTER PRIVACY AND DATA PROTECTIONE-Commerce News: Viewpoint: In Privacy Law, One Size Fits NoneThe plain truth is that employees have a far lower expectation of privacy on company PCs than on their home computers. They've typically been told how company PCs may be used, that the information those PCs contain is a corporate asset, and that the company has the right to access its own computers to assure their proper use.

In the face of today's attacks on computer information, we should expect legislators to enact laws to protect our privacy . However, any law that fails to recognize three things -- who owns a computer, who uses it and for what purposes -- is unlikely to fit the privacy needs of both corporate and individual PC owners.
Think of your home computer. Its hard drive is likely to contain personal information, such as your name, address, phone number, credit card numbers, Social Security number, favorite Web sites, e-commerce purchase history and personal photos. If that data were to fall into the wrong hands, you could become the victim of identity theft, lose thousands of dollars, find your credit rating in jeopardy, be targeted by con artists or worse.

Just as outsiders have no right to enter your home without your knowledge or consent and pilfer personal information, unauthorized individuals or organizations do not have the right to trespass on home computers for similar purposes, even if they do so remotely. It's no surprise that consumers all over the world support laws designed to curb this sort of abuse.

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