Email confidentiality notice

Dutchie

I, and all my staff use the confidentiality notice detailed below at the bottom of all of our emails.
Has my confidentiality notice, or any other email disclaimer any legal power?

Many thanks.

"CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
This email is intended only for the addressees and may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any copying, distribution or use of the information contained in this e-mail and its attachments, if any, is not allowed. Views expressed are those of the user and not necessarily those of ABC Ltd or its subsidiaries. Any unauthorized use, copying, review or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail and any copies of it.

ABC Ltd has taken every reasonable precaution to ensure that any attachment to this e-mail has been scanned for viruses. However, we only send and receive e-mails on the basis that we are not liable for any viruses or any consequences thereof and would advise that you carry out your own virus scans before opening any attachments.

jhegarty

By reading my post you agree to pay me €5.

tricky D

Not much. Such disclaimers are a poor man's solution and brimful of holes at that. Depends on the circumstances, but most of the time errors will be due to sender's negligence. If you want proper legally protected confidentiality, use digital encryption and signatures which are legislated for in the E-Commerce Act 2000.

Dutchie

Thanks Tricky, very much appreciated.

deandean

I took some advice on this last year and was advised that that stuff at the end of e-mails is not worth the, er, pixels it is printed on, and it has no legal standing.

For example if you receive an e-mail in error I would class it as receiving unsolicited correspondence. It is now in legislation that any unsolicited correspondence, or products, received, impart no duty of care whatsoever upon the recipient.

What you are supposed to have however at the bottom of an e-mail, it being a correspondence from your company, is your company address and registration number, same as you do with written correspondence. IIRC there is no longer a requirement to have the names of the directors on the footer.