tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3116442395849122822.post6182118258071331549..comments2024-03-12T14:31:50.264-07:00Comments on Bits and Pieces: Email Privacy UpdateHarry Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17088418333536732728noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3116442395849122822.post-28463490473569348182013-05-08T18:10:44.473-07:002013-05-08T18:10:44.473-07:00In response to the second-to-last paragraph: (and ...In response to the second-to-last paragraph: (and rather off-the-cuff, as it is reading period...)<br /><br />It seems that there are two real questions in privacy that have been ubiquitous throughout this debacle: (1) "(Under what circumstances) is the University going to search my mail in the future?" and (2) "(Under what circumstances) has the University searched my mail in the past?" Ideally, a policy on email searches would answer both.<br /><br />Specifically, to answer the first, it might explicitly enumerate the cases in which email circumstances might be authorized. If there need be broad, catch-all provisions (say, 'in case of emergency' or 'to ensure compliance with other University rules'), it ought to include examples of such cases, to allow a reasonable comparison of scale (Do allegations of academic dishonesty allow for a search 'to ensure compliance...'? Do allegations of underage drinking?)<br /><br />In an ideal world (at a university, perhaps, with a greater expectation of trust...), such a policy would answer the second concern as well. I ought to be able to trust that either no such incidents had occurred (since I had a good idea of what exactly might constitute one) or at least, I could trust that the University had acted responsibly and with restraint had they had reason to search.<br /><br />In the absence of such trust, it might be useful to have an assurance that, were a search warranted, the affected party would be notified in advance. If this policy were clear and firm, it would be easier to trust that, since I had not been notified otherwise, my inbox has indeed been private.<br /><br />In light of recent events, an 'in-advance' notification might be more useful than the 'immediately-afterwards' policy currently written into the FAS policy. After all, it's not as if a user is capable of deleting their data from University servers...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425182901548329436noreply@blogger.com