Corporate Internet-Usage Policies
By Catherine Sansum Kirkman
The growth of the World Wide Web in the last few years has been fueled by the explosion of commercial Web sites, as the corporate world has rushed to establish a market presence in cyberspace. Now most of these companies are establishing intranets, for internal communication behind secure company firewalls. In addition, companies are looking to develop extranets, networks linking businesses with their suppliers, customers, and industry partners. As part of this trend, companies are confronting legal issues arising from connecting their employees to the Internet and allowing them to communicate through email and the Web.
This article will survey some of the legal issues that arise in implementing an acceptable-use policy for employees linked to the Internet. I've also included some parting thoughts on "cyberzoning" in the wake of the Communications Decency Act, which is one less thing for everyone to worry about since it was ruled unconstitutional last summer.
Many people ask why a policy is necessary for electronic communications on the Internet. They correctly point out that employees are already expected to represent their employer appropriately in person, on the telephone and in printed letters. For this reason, some companies opt for a simple reminder statement to their employees on Internet usage, to the effect that the Internet and electronic communications are for company business and should be treated with the professionalism that goes with any other type of company communication.<>
