What is the legal opinion of privacy regarding IT resources such as email?
The electronic mail system (email) software and hardware are the property of the District government. Messages created, received or sent on the District email system are not the private property of any person. There is no ‘right to privacy’ by any person using the District email. The DC government reserves the right to review, audit, intercept, access and disclose all DC government electronic and printed messages. Even when a message is erased, it is still possible to retrieve and read that message. By requesting email access, users are consenting to such monitoring of records. All District email is subject to public inspection unless otherwise protected by DC or federal law.
