The new semester begins today at George Mason University and I am very glad to see the students back on campus. It gets a little boring around here without them and I am really looking forward to spending time with them in class, in discussions in my office, and around campus in various venues.
One thing that has dampened my usual enthusiasm for the new semester is a new university policy on digital privacy that we are all required to sign. The policy reads:
I understand that this policy stipulates that no user shall have any expectation of privacy in any message, file, image or data created, sent, retrieved, received, or posted in the use of the University’s equipment and/or access. I further understand that the University has a right to monitor any and all aspects of electronic communications and social media usage. Such monitoring may occur at any time, without notice, and without the user’s permission. In addition, except for exemptions under the Act, electronic records may be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and, therefore, available for public distribution.
I’m not clear on the degree to which this new policy trumps federal or state laws governing student privacy, our rights as researchers to engage in such confidential things as peer review of colleagues, etc.
Seems like a policy knee-jerk reaction to what happened in Wisconsin, but the the exact opposite reaction i would hope the university would take. It’s actually frightening.
When you say we all, who do you mean? I haven’t heard about this or signed any document, but I’m still an enrolled student.
All employees are told to sign it or sign a statement that it’s been read to them. But since it says “no user” it may apply more broadly.
I have been sitting on it for a week. It doesn’t even have exemption for legal counsel or other professional consultation. Would this be even plausible for paper-and-ink? Should employees using university stationary or pens have no expectation of privacy?
This statement goes way beyond the practical understanding that email is archived and *can* be searched or seized. It asserts the blanket right for the Commonwealth to do so “at any time, without notice, and without … permission.” Is this even subject to warrant? Again, would this apply to paper-and-ink?
I’m not signing. I’ll initial that it’s been read to me and I have a copy. I’ll also modify my signature to say something like,
This email is not confidential. “No user shall have any expectation of privacy … in the use of the Commonwealth’s equipment and/or access.”
Hi Jeremy. Good question. Just went and reexamined the policy statement and it seems that, for now anyway, it applies only to faculty and staff. There is no mention of students. And you’ll be glad to know that the University of Virginia’s policy is much less intrusive.