Hacker News Reader

Many programmers tend to treat the legal system as if it was a computer program: if(form.is_public && form.contains(private_health_records)) move(form.owner, get_nearest_jail()); - but this is not how the legal system actually works. Not even in excessively-bureaucratic-and-wording-of-rules-based Germany.

View on HN

Yeah, that’s my point. I don’t understand why the fact that you could access a bunch of personal data via your work laptop in express violation of the laptop owner’s wishes would mean that your company has the same responsibilities to protect it that your doctor’s office does. That’s definitely not how it works in general.

The legal default assumption seems to be that you can use your work laptop for personal things that don't interfere with your work. Because that's a normal thing people do.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com