Rethinking Online Privacy in the Chinese Workplace: Employee Dismissals over Social Media Posts

Abstract

The increasing popularity of social media usage in the workplace, as well as rapid advancements in workplace surveillance technology, have made it easier for employers in China-as elsewhere-to access a vast quantity of information on employees' social media networks. Considering that Chinese privacy and personal data protection laws have been relatively weak, there have been a growing number of cases brought before courts in China involving employer access to, and use of, employee social media content. In this essay, Mimi Zou examines a number of these cases.