Workplace Privacy: The Legal Point of View in Malaysia
(Privasi di Tempat Kerja: Tinjauan dari Sudut Perundangan di Malaysia)
Abstract
The rapid growth of information and communication technology has made it possible for everybody to search information and be more efficient in their work. Another shift taking place as a result of the advancement of surveillance technologies involves the control of personal data. Controlling personal data enables employers to monitor work performance as well as maintaining employee discipline and productivity. The new technology involved includes global positioning systems, video surveillance, smart cards, face recognition and biometrics. The collection of personal data has significant importance with regard to privacy. The Malaysian Federal Constitution does not specifically recognize privacy as a fundamental right, while the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 only protects the handling of personal data in commercial transactions. As such, this article discusses the extent to which protection is available to employees relating to privacy. The doctrinal methodology was employed in conducting this research. Cases from the European Union and the United States of America were used as guides and for comparison with the situation in Malaysia. The findings are that there is no protection of privacy at the workplace provided specifically to protect employees in Malaysia.
Keywords: privacy, workplace privacy, personal data, surveillance, employee rights
References
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Akta Perlindungan Data Peribadi 2010.
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Auchard, E. (2001, 29 Mei). Monitoring shrinks worker privacy sphere. Reuters.
Ayub, Z. A., & Mohamed Yusoff, Z. (2008). Workplace privacy in Malaysia: A legal comparison (pp. 121 - 137). Sintok, Kedah: Penerbit Universiti Utara Malaysia.
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Bărbulescu lwn Romania [2016] ECHR 61; [2017] ECHR 742.
Bohach lwn City of Reno, 932 F. Supp. 1232, 1236 (D. Nev. 1996).
Chung, W., & Paynter, J. (2002, Januari). Privacy issues on the internet. In System Sciences, 2002. HICSS. Proceedings of the 35th Annual Hawaii International Conference (p. 9). IEEE.
Copland lwn United Kingdom [2007] ECHR 253.
D'Urso, S. C. (2006). Who's watching us at work? Toward a structural- perceptual model of electronic monitoring and surveillance in organizations. Communication Theory, 16(3), 281 - 303.
Deal lwn Spears, 980 F.2d 1153 (8th Cir. 1992).
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Eivazi, K. (2011). Computer use monitoring and privacy at work. Computer Law & Security Review, 27(5), 516 - 523.
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Kaupins, G., & Minch, R. (2005, Januari). Legal and ethical implications of employee location monitoring. In System Sciences, 2005. HICSS'05. Proceedings of the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference (p. 133a). IEEE.
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Smith-Butler, L. (2009). Workplace privacy: We'll be watching you. Ohio NUL Rev., 35, 53.
Smyth lwn. Pillsbury Co, 914 F. SUPP. 97 (ED Pa. 1996).
Standler, R. B. (1997). Privacy law in the USA. Retrieved from http://www.rbs2.com/privacy.htm .
Steve Jackson Games, Inc. lwn United States Secret Service, 36 F.3d 457(5 Cir. 1994).
Stewart, F. (2000). Internet acceptable use policies: Navigating the management, legal, and technical issues. Information Systems Security, 9(3), 1 - 7.
Thompson lwn Johnson County Community College, 930 F. Supp. 501 (D. Kan. 1996).
Turban, E., Bolloju, N., & Liang, T. P. (2011). Enterprise social networking: Opportunities, adoption, and risk mitigation. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 21(3), 202 - 220.
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Van Meter, K. M. (2002). Terrorists/liberators: Researching and dealing with adversary social networks. Connections, 24(3), 66 - 78.
Warren, S. D., & Brandeis, L. D. (1890). The right to privacy. Harvard Law Review, 193 - 220.
Watkins lwn L. M. Berry & Co., 704 F.2d 577 (11th Cir. 1983).
Whalen lwn Roe, 429 US 589 (1977).
Young, K. S., & Case, C. J. (2004). Internet abuse in the workplace: New trends in risk management. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(1), 105 - 111.
Yusoff, Z. M. (2011). The Malaysian Personal Data Protection Act 2010: A Legislation Note. NZJPIL, 9, 119.
Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri 1960.
Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998.
Akta Perlindungan Data Peribadi 2010.
Akta Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia 2009.
American Management Association. (2001). Annual Survey on Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance 2001, 18 April.
Archambault, A., & Grudin, J. (2012, Mei). A longitudinal study of facebook, linkedin, & twitter use. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 2741 - 2750). ACM.
Auchard, E. (2001, 29 Mei). Monitoring shrinks worker privacy sphere. Reuters.
Ayub, Z. A., & Mohamed Yusoff, Z. (2008). Workplace privacy in Malaysia: A legal comparison (pp. 121 - 137). Sintok, Kedah: Penerbit Universiti Utara Malaysia.
Bernama. (2001, 10 Mac). Ramai rasa selamat dengan rekod pekerja. Retrieved from http://ww1.utusan.com my utusan/info.asp?y=2001&dt=0311&pub=UtusanMalaysia&sec=Ekonomi&pg=ek_06.htm.
Bloustein, E. J. (1964). Privacy as an aspect of human dignity: An answer to Dean Prosser. NYUL rev., 39, 962.
Bărbulescu lwn Romania [2016] ECHR 61; [2017] ECHR 742.
Bohach lwn City of Reno, 932 F. Supp. 1232, 1236 (D. Nev. 1996).
Chung, W., & Paynter, J. (2002, Januari). Privacy issues on the internet. In System Sciences, 2002. HICSS. Proceedings of the 35th Annual Hawaii International Conference (p. 9). IEEE.
Copland lwn United Kingdom [2007] ECHR 253.
D'Urso, S. C. (2006). Who's watching us at work? Toward a structural- perceptual model of electronic monitoring and surveillance in organizations. Communication Theory, 16(3), 281 - 303.
Deal lwn Spears, 980 F.2d 1153 (8th Cir. 1992).
Determann, L., & Sprague, R. (2011). Intrusive monitoring: Employee privacy expectations are reasonable in Europe, destroyed in the United States. Berkeley Technology Law Journal, 26(2), 979 - 1036.
Eivazi, K. (2011). Computer use monitoring and privacy at work. Computer Law & Security Review, 27(5), 516 - 523.
Electronic Communications Privacy Act 1986.
Garrity lwn John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co, 18 IER Kes 981 (Mass. Dist. Ct. 2002).
Halford lwn the United Kingdom [1997] ECHR 32 (20605/92).
Hamin, Z. (2001). E-mail @ work: Its legal implication on employer's liability. Malayan Law Journal, 3, xxviii.
Hartman, L. P., & Bucci, G. (1999). The economic and ethical implications of new technology on privacy in the workplace. Business and society review, 102(1), 1 - 24.
Kaupins, G., & Minch, R. (2005, Januari). Legal and ethical implications of employee location monitoring. In System Sciences, 2005. HICSS'05. Proceedings of the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference (p. 133a). IEEE.
K-Mart Corp. lwn Trotti, 677 S.W.2d 632 (Tex. Ct. App. 1984).
Kopke lwn Germany [2010] ECHR 1725 Application No. 420/07.
Lasprogata, G., & King, N. J. (2004). Regulation of electronic employee monitoring: Identifying fundamental principles of employee privacy through a comparative study of data privacy legislation in the European Union, United States and Canada. Stan. Tech. L. Rev., 4.
Leftheriotis, I., & Giannakos, M. N. (2014). Using social media for work: Losing your time or improving your work? Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 134 - 142.
Leventhal lwn Knapek, 266 F.3d 64 (2d Cir. 2001).
Libert lwn France [2018] ECHR 185.
McVeigh lwn Cohen, 983 F. Supp. 215, 220 (D.D.C. 1998).
Miller lwn Motorola, Inc., 560 N.E.2d 900 (Ill. App. 1990).
Mishra, J. M., & Crampton, S. M. (1998). Employee monitoring: Privacy in the workplace?. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 63(3), 4.
Nikon lwn Onof, Decision No. 4164, 2 October 2001 (99 - 42, 942).
Nord, G. D., McCubbins, T. F., & Nord, J. H. (2006). E-monitoring in the workplace: Privacy, legislation, and surveillancesoftware. Communications of the ACM, 49(8), 72 - 77.
O'Connor lwn Ortega, 480 U.S. 709 (1987).
Peck lwn The United Kingdom [2003] EHRR 287.
Perlembagaan Persekutuan.
Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong. (2016). Privacy guidelines: Monitoring and personal data privacy at work. Retrieved from https://www.pcpd.org.hk/english/data_privacy_law/code_ofpractices/files/
Monitoring_and_Personal_Data_Privacy_At_Work_revis_Eng.pdf.
Privacy Foundation. (2001). The extent of systematic monitoring of employee e-mail and internet use. Retrieved from http://www.sonic.net/~undoc/extent.htm.
Smith, R. E. (2000). Ben Franklin's website: Privacy and curiosity from Plymouth Rock to the internet. In Privacy journal.
Smith, W. P., & Tabak, F. (2009). Monitoring employee e-mails: Is there any room for privacy? The Academy of Management Perspectives, 23(4), 33 - 48.
Smith-Butler, L. (2009). Workplace privacy: We'll be watching you. Ohio NUL Rev., 35, 53.
Smyth lwn. Pillsbury Co, 914 F. SUPP. 97 (ED Pa. 1996).
Standler, R. B. (1997). Privacy law in the USA. Retrieved from http://www.rbs2.com/privacy.htm .
Steve Jackson Games, Inc. lwn United States Secret Service, 36 F.3d 457(5 Cir. 1994).
Stewart, F. (2000). Internet acceptable use policies: Navigating the management, legal, and technical issues. Information Systems Security, 9(3), 1 - 7.
Thompson lwn Johnson County Community College, 930 F. Supp. 501 (D. Kan. 1996).
Turban, E., Bolloju, N., & Liang, T. P. (2011). Enterprise social networking: Opportunities, adoption, and risk mitigation. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 21(3), 202 - 220.
United States of America lwn Simons, 206 F.3d 392 (4 Cir. 2000).
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Utusan Malaysia. (2002, 13 Julai). Pekerja layari laman web lucah dikenakan tindakan disiplin. Retrieved from http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2002&dt=0714&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_07.htm.
Van Meter, K. M. (2002). Terrorists/liberators: Researching and dealing with adversary social networks. Connections, 24(3), 66 - 78.
Warren, S. D., & Brandeis, L. D. (1890). The right to privacy. Harvard Law Review, 193 - 220.
Watkins lwn L. M. Berry & Co., 704 F.2d 577 (11th Cir. 1983).
Whalen lwn Roe, 429 US 589 (1977).
Young, K. S., & Case, C. J. (2004). Internet abuse in the workplace: New trends in risk management. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(1), 105 - 111.
Yusoff, Z. M. (2011). The Malaysian Personal Data Protection Act 2010: A Legislation Note. NZJPIL, 9, 119.
Published
2019-01-11
How to Cite
AYUB, Zainal Amin; MOHAMED YUSOFF, Zuryati.
Workplace Privacy: The Legal Point of View in Malaysia.
Kanun: Jurnal Undang-undang Malaysia, [S.l.], v. 31, n. 1, p. 55-84, jan. 2019.
ISSN 2682-8057.
Available at: <https://jurnal.dbp.my/index.php/Kanun/article/view/3513>. Date accessed: 25 apr. 2024.
Section
Articles
