[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Facebook and Senator Fire Back at Password Snooping Employers here

[MommaHanna]

I don't knwo what bozo came up with the idea of accessing individuals private social network accounts, but it is tantamount to asking to review their private journal. How presumptious and VERY much an invation of privacy. If the comments are public then read it that way. Sounds like Hitler is making a come back!

[MommaHanna]

I don't knwo what bozo came up with the idea of accessing individuals private social network accounts, but it is tantamount to asking to review their private journal. How presumptious and VERY much an invation of privacy. If the comments are public then read it that way. Sounds like Hitler is making a come back!

[SeanTaylor]

Any employer that would ask for that is not one worth working for imo. I would feel like the interview was over at that point and I basically had a free shot at the interviewer. I think after a broken nose or two they would stop asking things like that.

[DanaMarshallgp08]

SeanTaylor, on 23 March 2012 - 09:41 AM, said:

Any employer that would ask for that is not one worth working for imo. I would feel like the interview was over at that point and I basically had a free shot at the interviewer. I think after a broken nose or two they would stop asking things like that.

I wouldn't want to work for an employer that asked that either, but with today's high unemployment rate, many people feel that they don't have any choice. Either having to 'friend' a manager or HR person, or give up your password. Luckily, Congress and the states are making these requirements illegal as is Facebook making it against their Terms of Service. I suspect the practice will fade away soon.

[ronin7752]

In the meantime, (1.) Don't post your picture on your profile, and (2.) don't let prospective employers know that you have a Facebook account.

It's none of their business, anyway.

[butcanyoufixit]

It's not like handing over the key to your house. It's like handing over the keys to each of your Facebook friends' houses. If any employer used a password gained in this manner to access someone's account, it's felony identity theft. Plain and simple. Even if they were freely given the password.

[JohnBernier]

As an HR Director there is no way this will be an accepted and continued practice. The NLRB has already ruled that employees may make commentary about their work as proctected speech and would most likely say that this practice of culling through someone's facebook page is a violation of protected speech especially if the employer denies employment.

[wth1954]

While I agree this is an outrageous method to essentially investigate a possible employee, I do wish people would get a bit of a clue about posting all of their personal life. There is a reason the word "personal" is involved in the description.

[Carlu9nk]

That employers find it neccesary to employ Facebook as a background tool strongly implies how impotent and lazy HR is at vetting employees.

[1980firebird]

Just another reason why I don't "DO" social media.

[buzzardbaittoo]

Might be more effective if during the interview the company requests the facebook password and it is refused,then the company will be required to hire the applicant for a period of one year with pay for the job applied for!

[ivorycruncher]

This should already be considered illegal. It is illegal for an employer to ask for certain personal details such as age, marital status, children, etc., because such information can be used to discriminate against potential hires, and most all of the information they cannot legally ask for is on people's Facebook accounts. If people have made that information private, then an employer cannot, in my opinion, legally ask for it. And that doesn't even touch on the other invasion of privacy issue at hand here.

[TsarNikky]

Business have no business asking for one's social media name, password, or anything else related to that; as a thinly-veiled attempt to bypass asking illegal questions. However, one should be very well aware that anything put out on the Internet is for public consumption--including prospective and current employers.

[TsarNikky]

wth1954, on 23 March 2012 - 12:03 PM, said:

While I agree this is an outrageous method to essentially investigate a possible employee, I do wish people would get a bit of a clue about posting all of their personal life. There is a reason the word "personal" is involved in the description.

Never forget: Anything and everything placed out on the Internet is available for everyone's inspection and examination.

[TimHendersonNV]

I would like to see a public posting of the names of every company that has required of current or prospective employees that they provide access to their Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social networking profiles. Every one of them ought to stand ashamed indefinitely for this conduct.

[JTF243]

In a situation like this, ask the interviewer if their company is in the habit of violating contracts with their suppliers, their customers, etc. If they get all "huffy" with you, explain that the Terms of Service with Facebook is a "contractual arrangement" and divulging such info violates said ToS.
If they persist, thank them for their time but that such an "unethical company" has no place in your world. (You might add that their actions WILL be posted on Facebook as well, with a link to their website.) *weg*

[JTF243]

But, if you are something of a "luddite" like me, that won't be a problem.

I have no Facebook account to access.

[davew9897]

The only problem with Senator Blumenthal's analogy is that it may have given unscrupulous employers another idea regarding unwarranted invasion of privacy of employees and prospective employees.

[LiveBrianD]

ronin7752, on 23 March 2012 - 10:53 AM, said:

In the meantime, (1.) Don't post your picture on your profile, and (2.) don't let prospective employers know that you have a Facebook account.

It's none of their business, anyway.

I wonder though - what if you don't use facebook? (seriously, I'm one of the people who doesn't) Will they assume you're lying and refuse to give you the job when in fact you really don't have a facebook account?