W8 bus dis

Privacy is an important part of our daily lives.  For example, as a student you should be aware of the Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which is a federal law protecting school records.  Another well-known federal privacy act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects your health information.   It is obvious that a large number of individuals take for granted their personal information will be safe and secure when doing business with small or large companies.  However, over the past 5 years, security breaches have become a common occurrence. 

There are rules and regulations that keep employee records, such as social security number, work evaluations and other pertinent information security.  All of these rules and regulations tend to benefit the employee or individual, but what about the company? 

Let’s think for a moment about that.  Should a company, regardless of size, be able to impose on its employees or customers policies regarding company privacy?  Should a company have the “right” to regulate its employee activities on their off-the-clock time?   Can an employee be held accountable for misrepresenting their employer on their personal social media accounts?  

Your discussion post for this week is to provide your OWN OPINION on the following questions.

In today’s technology advanced society, is there really “privacy”? 

Based on your own personal experiences with social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, and Snapchat), do you feel that individuals should be held accountable for their actions outside of the workplace? 

Is it possible that due to the technology advances in smart phones, tablets, and other communication devices that workplace and personal privacy have meshed together to a point that what was once “personal” space is now fair game in the hiring and firing practices?