One thing all these software systems have in common is the ability to strictly control the flow of information through a company, to control what employees can do with documents and data, and to track who has accessed that information.

Sounds great so far. But imagine a company with less-than-worthy goals—say, one with unethical or illegal business practices—installing this type of software. All of a sudden, it becomes hard to copy or view documents and data that show the company's actions. And if you do view a document, someone higher up will know you looked at it. If that person thinks you might tell the authorities, he or she may remove the offending data.

I can't help but get the feeling that these software applications, designed for worthy goals, will end up being used to protect all kinds of corporate information and stop whistle-blowers before they can get started. I have to think that even ethical companies, once they've installed these applications to protect privacy and handle reporting, will use these systems to protect many other types of business information, especially the information they don't want outsiders to see.