Privacy Working Group

The Washington Post reports that Facebook is preparing to tackle the legislative process and policies in Washington. Former senior legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, Timothy Sparapani, has been hired as Facebook’s lead lobbyist to help define Internet-privacy legislation currently taking shape.

This comes at a time when Congress has sparked interest in creating new privacy legislation. Yesterday, lawmakers met and heard testimony on online advertising and the privacy concerns with tracking users. Congress has finally recognized the need for personal data protection on the Internet. Many providers and companies who gain from online advertising believe self regulation is the answer to privacy concerns as opposed to more laws that will quickly be out of date as technology grows.

Just when is government regulation necessary? Powerful lobbyists are sure to play a key role in shaping future legislation, and it remains to be seen which direction Facebook and other social networking sites move.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a survey conducted by Deloitte reveals that business executives believe they should know what their employees are doing on social networking sites. Of managers surveyed 60% agree that the company has a right to know how employees are portraying their employers; 53% of employees surveyed disagreed with this assertion and many noted that they would be unlikely to change their behavior if they knew their activity was being monitored.

It is no secret that participation in social networking is rapidly increasing and businesses must respond to this shift in media; however, businesses must be mindful of their employees’ own personal rights while trying to find a balance. Creating or altering company policies to reflect current technology and trends will help alleviate the forthcoming issue of encroaching on employee privacy.

Does a company have the right to investigate an employee’s personal activities because of concerns about corporate branding?