But even blocking technology can make a mistake, as Goodman discovered. If actively blocked, that kind of mistake could cause real problems for the company. Although Thomas Cook has not experienced major problems with downloaded porn, there have been instances of time-wasting. Other companies have had more serious problems than staff with a penchant for teen band websites. It's not just internet surfing that needs monitoring.
Email can also be a real headache for businesses.
At UK supermarket chain Asda, an internal email suggesting that a policeman who complained about a faulty product was lying resulted in court action. In the US, petrol company Chevron paid out 1.3m after being sued for sexual harassment by a female employee who found sexist jokes on the company email system. How to avoid such problems Discovering such material in your organisation is possible through the use of internet access control systems. Most corporate lawyers believe the trend is a good one, because employers can be held liable both for the emails employees send to one another and for their outbound messages. Where an employee carries out illegal activity on a company network, the company is equally liable.