A surge in remote work and a decrease in employees in traditional office settings has sparked concerns about phone privacy. People are questioning whether their phones are safe for personal use or if their managers are monitoring them, similar to how laptops are used to track productivity.
So, can your employer track your phone and monitor your activities, including the time you spend on work? The answer is complex, but The Hill has provided key information about your rights and what your job can expect when it comes to mobile device surveillance.
Can my employer track my phone?
Essentially, yes. If it’s a company phone, your employer has the legal right to monitor its usage. Just like any other company device, employers can track their employees’ call history, email and text message content, and the apps they use.
Under certain circumstances, an employer can also monitor a personal phone. The employee needs to provide consent to allow the employer to monitor their personal device. Additionally, if an employee uses company-provided apps like Slack, the employer may monitor their personal phone.
Mike Sexton, a senior policy adviser for cyber at Third Way’s national security program, suggests that everything done within work applications like Outlook or Teams, as well as activities over the office wifi, is likely monitored.
Is it worth having separate work and personal phones?
From an employer’s point of view, having control over all the devices used by employees for work enhances security matters. Even though it may be costly and inconvenient for some employees, it provides compartmentalization of work and personal digital environments, improving cyber hygiene and policy adherence.
What spyware is used to track a phone?
Employers can utilize various spyware options to monitor employees, including InterGuard, Mobile Spy, and Spyzie. These spyware tools can access phone call history, text messages, emails, browsing history, and in the case of Spyzie, employee activity and work schedules.
What can my employer track?
Employers can also track employee efficiency and ensure that they are not slacking off on the job. Many companies are implementing software that detects keystrokes and clicks on computers to determine if employees are actually working. A Canadian accounting firm, for example, used tracking software to discover an employee conducting personal tasks during work hours, resulting in the employee being ordered to repay for “time theft.”
Ultimately, spyware is a type of malware installed on devices to spy on users and monitor their activities. Cybercriminals and certain governments have used spyware to collect personal and sensitive information, such as bank account details, Social Security numbers, and login credentials. Pegasus, manufactured and sold by Israeli firm NSO Group, is one of the most invasive spyware tools used to spy on political opponents and government officials. It can gather various types of data, including messages, pictures, videos, location information, and can even activate the camera and microphone on a device.