Keylogging May Be Illegal

Quick on the heels of our “Bosses Want To See Employees’ Facebook” story comes this cautionary tale: companies that install keystroke logging software (“keyloggers”) on employees’ computers may be breaking the law.

After Metteyya Brahmana was laid off (from CyberData Corporation, we believe), and after a dispute with his former supervisor, he learned that the company was using keyloggers on all employees’ computers.

He sued for $1.5 million, claiming the keylogging violated the federal Wiretap Act, which makes it illegal to “intentionally intercept … any wire, oral or electronic communication.”

The company tried to have the case dismissed, but the court ruled that the keylogging itself may have been against the law.