POLICE CAMERAS spy on you in Lan Kwai Fong, the Government could be secretly tapping your telephone and your boss is probably scrutinising your personal e-mails in the office.
It sometimes seems as if George Orwell's nightmare vision of a world in which 'Big Brother' is constantly watching has become reality.
As the opportunities for snooping have grown with the development of technology, so have concerns about invasions of privacy. The ability of employers to monitor their staff, listening in to personal telephone calls, reading e-mails and tracking their use of the Internet, has been a particular concern.
Last week the Privacy Commissioner appeared to strike a blow for employees by issuing a draft code which limits the extent to which employers can spy on staff at work. 'It is tilted in favour of the employee and significantly restricts the ability of the employer to, for example, monitor computer usage,' said Fiona Loughrey, a partner with law firm Simmons and Simmons.
The draft code has good intentions. But will it ultimately succeed in keeping office snooping to a minimum? Questions have been raised about 'grey areas' in the rules, their legal implications and the impact they may have on office culture. Stiff opposition from employers may also lead to the draft code, now subject to public consultation, being watered down.
'It is for the employers' bodies to use the three-month consultation period to put their case and to say why they believe there should be a relaxation in certain areas,' said Duncan Abate, a partner at Johnson Stokes and Master.