Being stalked by my close colleague at work for 8 months (Gossip and Rumours)

Grumpy_chap

Has the OP now logged out of the app on the work computer and changed all their passwords?

Undervalued

ThunderHoof said:

JReacher1 said:

This does not fall under the computer misuse act. The OP unfortunately gave the person access by not signing out of a shared computer. 

The person who read the messages has not done anything to get this access so is not in breach of the act.  

The person had access yes but it was unauthorised which falls under the remit according to case law.

Every time he accessed the app or opened a chat, he was securing access to data. Securing access does not mean "hacking".

The computer belonged to the company but was apparently available for staff to use for non company business. So the manager was just as entitled to use it and access any apps or web browsers on it as the OP.

Had it been setup so that each user had a personal login and the manager somehow accessed the OP's "private" area then you may have a point. However as far as I understand that is not the case.

I am not defending the manager's alleged behaviour but ultimately had the OP not left their passwords and private messages on an insecure computer that several people were apparently entitled to use, none of this would have happened.

This is a bit like leaving your house or car unlocked. It doesn't give somebody the right to steal from you but your insurance may well not pay out!

pinkshoes

tevezratman said:

Exactly - A normal person would have just logged out but mentioned it 

Another thing I found out that on the work laptop and on the corporate network is that web.whatsapp.com is not blocked.
Surely if it was against company policy it would have been blacklisted. 

Saying that the machine in question was not on corporate network but connected EE WIFI Hotspot from my phone. We were also explicitly given the machines to use for personal use.

I feel you are clutching at straws here and trying to justify your mistake.

You accessed your private messaging on a shared computer and carelessly left it logged in so that anyone using the computer could see the messages. 

I don't think a normal person would have logged out; I think most people would have a look! It's creepy and weird, but not stalking.

What you need to do is accept you made a mistake, change any passwords you posted, change your WhatsApp password and then just forget it and move on with your life. I very much doubt you can prove what happened and I very much doubt they'll admit it.

Perhaps it would help moving jobs, as it seems you don't get on too well with your colleagues. 

tevezratman

I fully understand it was my mistake but surely it should give anyone advantage to exploit people.

 I still think it is illegal to snoop on someone elses messages, whether or not its a shared machine or not.

The whole scenario lasted around 8 months, so you have to question what did the person get out of it?

The messages were linked to my personal mobile. Personal information such as wife's and children's passports, bank statements and visa documentation was shared on the platform. If the personal could cyber stalk me for 8 months how much of my personal information has he downloaded or copied.

BrassicWoman

tevezratman said:

If the personal could cyber stalk me for 8 months how much of my personal information has he downloaded or copied.

Only as much as you inappropriately shared in the first place?

lincroft1710

OP, I am sure this question has been asked before, but I don't think it has been answered.


What resolution are you seeking?

JReacher1

ThunderHoof said:

JReacher1 said:

This does not fall under the computer misuse act. The OP unfortunately gave the person access by not signing out of a shared computer. 

The person who read the messages has not done anything to get this access so is not in breach of the act.  

The person had access yes but it was unauthorised which falls under the remit according to case law.

Every time he accessed the app or opened a chat, he was securing access to data. Securing access does not mean "hacking".

Please can you share some of the case law you have referenced? I can then assist you in showing how you have misunderstood this. 

robatwork

tevezratman said:

I fully understand it was my mistake but surely it should give anyone advantage to exploit people.

 I still think it is illegal to snoop on someone elses messages, whether or not its a shared machine or not.

The whole scenario lasted around 8 months, so you have to question what did the person get out of it?

The messages were linked to my personal mobile. Personal information such as wife's and children's passports, bank statements and visa documentation was shared on the platform. If the personal could cyber stalk me for 8 months how much of my personal information has he downloaded or copied.

It's not illegal.
It's not cyber stalking.
It's not exploitation.

Just saying words doesn't make them change meanings.

Emmia

tevezratman said:

I fully understand it was my mistake but surely it should give anyone advantage to exploit people.

 I still think it is illegal to snoop on someone elses messages, whether or not its a shared machine or not.

The whole scenario lasted around 8 months, so you have to question what did the person get out of it?

The messages were linked to my personal mobile. Personal information such as wife's and children's passports, bank statements and visa documentation was shared on the platform. If the personal could cyber stalk me for 8 months how much of my personal information has he downloaded or copied.

How have you been exploited? How are you being cyber stalked? 

Does your colleague follow you around outside of work? Are they demanding money? Are they teasing / bullying you over the content of the messages? Have you found yourself receiving weird messages on WhatsApp, or have you been signed up to random or dodgy websites? 

It would be helpful if you could answer the question that several posters (including me) have already asked, which is

"What resolution are you seeking?"

MalMonroe

You've worked opposite the guy for years and in your title you say 'close colleague' - why not just have a conversation with him? There seems to have been a lot of speculation and guesswork and blaming. 

It isn't clear, as others have said, what you want the outcome to be. What proof is there of any wrongdoing by anybody? And why haven't you tried to clear the air with a person who sits opposite?

There is a simple solution - keep work and home information private. And even if the machine was authorised for private use, why use it? Certainly at work you are using the employers' time to send personal messages and not many employers will agree to that.

Maybe it is time to move on, you're obviously unhappy there. Nobody's done anything wrong. Maybe a bit of snooping - but maybe those colleagues of yours live such boring lives that it brightens up their lives. They are all more to be pitied than anything else.

Move on, look for a new job and try not to brood about something that really isn't much more than a storm in a teacup.

You've lost nothing, except maybe a bit of dignity. That's all.