New (Federal) Rules Compel Firms to Track (Employees) E-Mails

[sabra]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2692400

New Rules Compel Firms to Track E-Mails
New Federal Rules Compel Companies to Keep Track of All E-Mails, IMs and Electronic Documents

WASHINGTON Dec 1, 2006 (AP)— U.S. companies will need to keep track of all the e-mails, instant messages and other electronic documents generated by their employees thanks to new federal rules that go into effect Friday, legal experts say.

The rules, approved by the Supreme Court in April, require companies and other entities involved in federal litigation to produce "electronically stored information" as part of the discovery process, when evidence is shared by both sides before a trial.

The change makes it more important for companies to know what electronic information they have and where. Under the new rules, an information technology employee who routinely copies over a backup computer tape could be committing the equivalent of "virtual shredding," said Alvin F. Lindsay, a partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP and expert on technology and litigation.

James Wright, director of electronic discovery at Halliburton Co., said that large companies are likely to face higher costs from organizing their data to comply with the rules. In addition to e-mail, companies will need to know about things more difficult to track, like digital photos of work sites on employee cell phones and information on removable memory cards, he said.

[Mythsaje]

1. WTF is THIS about?

Sounds like weird Big Brother crap to me.

[shance]

2. Back in the USSA. Don't know how lucky you are boys.

n/t

[valerief]

3. Skoal, comrades.

:beer:

[valerief]

4. They control elections. They control phones. They control home

and commercial emails.

They control. And eliminate as needed.

New World Order = NWO = No Way Out

[unpossibles]

5. frankly since my company has an email policy this is not

too surprising. Then I got to the last part: In addition to e-mail, companies will need to know about things more difficult to track, like digital photos of work sites on employee cell phones and information on removable memory cards, he said.

wtf?

[dchill]

6. "more difficult to track,"

Like what you're thinking, what you're searching on the Google, what you're saying at the water cooler, whom you're saying it to, whom you're saying it about...

The government NEEDS this information in order to declare you a potential terrorist. It will also help them to control the internets. Authoritarians are never happy with the power they have, it's the power they DON'T have that makes them testy and afraid.

They think "1984" is a self-help book, not a cautionary tale (they don't know what that means, obviously.)

[MeasureTwice]

7. entities involved in federal litigation

Take a look at who's complaining here. The quote is from James Wright of Halliburton for Gods' sake.
What they're trying to do is stop companies that are being investigated from carrying out 'Policy' erasures, and makes them save all thier existing backups until the discovery process is complete.
They SHOULD be able to keep you from erasing things, but they SHOULD NOT be allowed to look at them without a court order.

[Robbien]

8. Yes, it is a good rule

Most Abramoff shady deals were done through emails.

[JudyM]

9. Right - this is about protecting evidence for any plaintiffs, not just the government.

Welcome to DU!

:toast:

On edit: States would be well advised to follow suit, since this is just for federal litigation.

[conscious evolution]

10. This is about haliburton.

You are absolutely right that they are doing this to cover their butts.
The funny thing is it is too late to help.Certain Congressmen already have everything they need to put cheney away.

[nam78_two]

11. K&R/nt

[Egnever]

12. Pretty horible headline.

Not really any relationship to what the rules actually say.

[Mich Otter]

13. What about White House and Congressional e-mails?

A whole bunch of them are in the process of disappearing every day so the money trail cannot be traced.