Michael Fabricant will introduce legislation in the House of Commons in the
new Parliamentary Session to provide the same privacy in law for emails as
currently exists for conventional mail and telephone calls. The change in
the law is being introduced in the light of the increased number of
employers who routinely monitor their employees’ emails to check whether
they are being used for business or are private. A number of firms now
exist which "audit" emails on behalf of companies by reading through their
contents. Moreover, a 400 page report to be published tomorrow (6th
September) by Privacy International will claim that individual privacy has
been eroded in Britain to a far greater extent than in other major
countries.

"While I appreciate that employers need to be satisfied that their employees
are working during the hours for which they are paid, it does not give them
the right to snoop into the private emails of their employees. My change to
the law would give the same protection to emails as already exists for
conventional mail and telephone calls. Emails could still be monitored by
the police and security services to counter crime and terrorism, provided
that they have first obtained a court warrant. This system works
satisfactorily for phone taps and the same safeguards should exist for email
communication too" says Michael Fabricant. "With the huge increase in
electronic communication, it is imperative that Parliament moves to protect
the individual’s right to privacy in this new medium."

Michael is Chairman of the House of Commons Information Committee which has
responsibility – among others – for the provision of computer and
communications systems for all Members of Parliament and their staff.