is my employer allowed to track my company issued iPad2?

[jwl1940]

Hi all,

My company will be issuing employees the iPad 2 for business and reasonable personal use. My job involves a lot of driving (I use my own car but get paid for use and travel). There was nothing in the agreement I signed stating that they would be able to do this, but I'm just curious. Will they be able to play "Big Brother" in this situation and follow me because it's their property or is this something I have to agree to?

Thanks!

 

[SweetPoison]

Company issued? I would think YES they do and probably will. Are they giving them to you or do you return it if you leave the company?

Let see what others chime in with.

 

[jwl1940]

It's their property and I have to return it if I quit, get fired or they ask for it back for any reason.

 

[CybrDuke]

Correct me if I'm wrong, I am still learning, but you'd need an app to track the iPad. Couldn't you just shut off location services? That's under settings. Can an iPad be tracked that is not providing it's location?

 

[Dee Ashley]

I think because it is company property the answer is yes. The IT department can put an application on the ipad, smartphone, laptop, or gps units that are supplied by your employer.

Be careful what you put on your computer, ipad, cell phones because yes, the employer can have all the information you put on these devices. And if you go to unsuitable websites you can be fired. This includes your private email account....there is no such thing as private anything if it is on a company issued device.

 

[idave23]

Reasonable personal use? That's probably more than a lot of companies would allow. I think I'd just be happy with that, not take it anywhere I wouldn't want them to know about and then not worry about whether they're keeping track of their own property.

 

[SweetPoison]

I think because it is company property the answer is yes. The IT department can put an application on the ipad, smartphone, laptop, or gps units that are supplied by your employer.

Be careful what you put on your computer, ipad, cell phones because yes, the employer can have all the information you put on these devices. And if you go to unsuitable websites you can be fired. This includes your private email account....there is no such thing as private anything if it is on a company issued device.

Well said!

 

[col.bris]

Find my phone may have been activated which can find your iPad within a meter any where you go. Your issue is with your company so I suggest you ask them for answers the posts above answer every thing

 

[jerseymaggie]

I work for the federal government and I think this policy is relevant even in the private sector: "When using government systems & equipment there should be NO expectation of privacy".

I agree with most posts here, unless it's your own personal iPad (or laptop, etc), I don't think there is any way around your employers' right to monitor your iPad use.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Not only would I expect no privacy with work-issued hardware, I would expect no privacy if using work wi-fi, even with my personal hardware. That's why I don't use work wi-fi for my own stuff.

 

[blucente]

It's obvious that the company has the "right" to access any information on their device but usually they will have a company policy in place which explains this. You should ask your company HR department for such policies.

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[CybrDuke]

I am actually in the IT department at my company. We create and sell software for the IBM System i. All our email etc comes through a mail server of course. Myself and the security officer and the IT manager have direct access to these machines and if we desired we could in fact read any email, incoming or outgoing on the system. As a practice this is not done. Only in the event of an issue would we invade privacy like that. We also have software installed that allows me to reach out and monitor any PC in the company. I can see the screens a person is on and the keystrokes they take etc. I can even remotely operate their machine without their permission. Again, we use this for trouble shooting and for problem resolution only.

From my perspective, as an IT person, I have a responsibility to maintain your privacy. I am not going to monitor you unless I have a reason. I am way too busy to look at all that data and sift through it to discover you wanted to look at some boobies at lunch time. I really could care less. What we watch for is severe abuse. A porn site that is hit three hundred times from a single IP in a day etc. Things that stand out.

I don't know how big your company is, but if they are interested in monitoring your activity and whereabouts through GPS on a regular basis.... Well, frankly I'd quit. Yes IT can see quite a lot. I have seen things on peoples machines as they come in for maintenance that I know they don't want me to see. I feel a responsibility to maintain that persons privacy however, and I would never repeat nor call a person on something like that unless there were other issues.

The ethical part of this question is a tough one to deal with. I simply don't look unless you give me a reason.

Just my two cents.

 

[jwl1940]

Thanks for the replies all!

Actually my my biggest concern is if someone can just be sitting at a desk somewhere and know where I am at all times because I have this thing. It's something that really doesn't set well with me.

 

[thewitt]

Power it off...

 

[blucente]

^^ There you go!

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