Legal Question in Legal Ethics in California
unauthorized receipt of email
Is there a legal issue when someone receives and reads email when they are not the intended recipient?
Apparently, a personal email address was left configured in Outlook on a business computer after the employee resigned. Since then, management has apparently been reading personal emails sent to the personal address.
Asked on 4/07/09, 3:26 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert F. Cohen
Law Office of Robert F. Cohen
Re: unauthorized receipt of email
If it's e-mail that was sent after the employee's resignation, then the company is in the wrong, and the invasion of privacy might be actionable if the intended recipient is harmed.
The person should immediately change the account's password.
Answered on 4/08/09, 8:00 pm