Singapore - Is your office computer mouse spying on you?

SINGAPORE - Employers are taking to gadgets like the spy mouse to monitor their staff and even listen in on their conversations.

A report in The Sunday Times said there is a healthy market for these spyware devices, according to sellers.

From calculators to alarm clocks, these gadgets take the form of innocuous-looking office equipment but contain built-in cameras which can record video.

The spy mouse, for instance, comes with a listening device and embedded SIM card. A phone call is used to activate the device, which can capture sounds and conversations within a 10-metre radius, The Sunday Times explained.

According to one seller of the spy mouse, Mr Michael Vandol, the co-owner of sgspycam.com, customers buy the spy mouse as an "an added option to conduct surveillance in the office".

The spy mouse costs $98 and Mr Vandol has sold about 200 pieces in the past year.

Four shops in Sim Lim Square were also found to be selling similar spy equipment, with prices ranging from $75 to $120, without the SIM card.

Lawyers interviewed by The Sunday Times said the use of such spy devices is technically legal but it may be in breach of encompassing laws.

Keystone Law Corporation director Bryan Tan told the paper that "if confidential information is accessed without permission, by improper acquisition, then the courts may protect such information."

However, employers might soon have to reconsider using such gadgets in the future.

Even though there are no privacy laws in Singapore currently, the tabling of legislation on a personal data protection regime is expected in Parliament this year.

Under the new rulings, organisations will be required to have proper processes in place for the collection, usage, and disposal of personal data, The Sunday Times said.

AsiaOne

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