Ethics

Keyboard monitoring which has a lot of advantages for employers poses a serious privacy risk to employees and the population in general. This is because the surveillance software allows one to watch all keyboard activities immediately after login to the of the end session. According to Keyboard monitoring Program (2009), the software creates records of all desktop or laptop activity and creates logs of information on what has been done on a computer. The surveyor can at regular interval secretly receive logs of users activity at his or her email ID. Employers use keyboard monitoring software to measure employees job performance, security breaches and job liabilities which is very healthy for any particular firm. Companies can be at risk of time wasting and security breaches if they leave employees to use computers and the Internet as they please. The device can also be used to track and catch criminals through keyboard monitoring. Apart from the two reasons above, keyboard monitoring can be used to invade employees or peoples privacy.

The use of keyboard surveillance should be employed only if it will not interfere with peoples privacy rights. It is reasonable to support the use of the software to track and apprehend criminals engage in risky behaviour. This can reduce the occurrence of Internet crimes that either defrauds the public,  incite others, defame people and firms or even plan criminal operations anywhere. When keyboard monitoring is used to contain such vices then it is right to use it. In addition, employers are also justified to use the device to monitor employees activity. This is important because it will limit time wasting. Employees who work online can deviate from their work and instead use the Internet for their own personal gains by spending most of their time chatting on social sites or email or other Internet indulgence that may be illegal, such as viewing adult content sites. Such irresponsible behaviours at place of work are likely to reduce production in a firm. When employers use the keyboard surveillance software to evaluate the competence of employees as well as to find out idling employees then there is no problem doing so because it is good for both the employers and the employees since the competent employees will be rewarded and when the production of the company improves their benefits will improve as well. However, the use of keyboard surveillance software to invade peoples privacy should be rejected at all possible cost. If employers or any entity employ the use of the device to infringe onto other peoples personal information then the law should come into play to protect people. Therefore, employers should take it upon themselves to inform their employees that they are using the system so that the employees can take responsibility.

Both the general public and organizations deserve their respective rights with regards to keyboard monitoring. Therefore, there should be laws and policies in place to address the privacy issue by stipulating clearly the dos and donts of the surveillance. There should be legal provisions in place to prevent anybody or entity from invading privacy of others. The right of privacy should be applied to all across the globe, whether employed or not. On the other hand, employers should also be granted the right to supervise the use of their computers by laws and policies to enhance production and contain criminal risks in their companies or organizations. This is important because if employees are allowed by law to use computers of their employers as they please then by doing so, it will be depriving employers of their right and responsibility as well. Finally there should be well balanced laws and policies that address the plight of both parties without denying the other their fundamental rights.