Employers Asking for Facebook Passwords?

[Rex]

at my job, they just ask that you don't post anything about the company on FB, which is very understandable. I see too many idiots with statuses on "I hate my job. X employer sucks!"

 

[dlrob315]

apparently the right to privacy does not extend to the internet. Only a matter of time before companies want to go into your email too, hell, why not look at my online banking statements too?

The right to privacy is still working in this case...you have the right to tell them no, my account is private. It is still bogus.

 

[Rex]

The right to privacy is still working in this case...you have the right to tell them no, my account is private. It is still bogus.

amd then they don't hire you lol

 

[LordKOTL]

amd then they don't hire you lol

That's what has me upset about this whole thing. It's basically implied that if you don't give them insider access (for lack of a better term), you won't get employment. In this economy and with the proliferation of social networking, if enough employers deny employment because you won't give them access, it's basically an end-run around the EEOC and right to privacy.



It's why I am hoping that Facebook does start with the lawsuits, and the ACLU gets involved (cue the pained shreiks of the anti-ACLU crowd). If you have windows, doors, and blinds on your house, you have the right to use them and nothing that happens on the inside is subject to employer disclosure without due process. Same with an online profile--if you have your privacy settings on, you should be under no obligation to disclose that to an employer without due process.

 

[supraman]

apparently the right to privacy does not extend to the internet. Only a matter of time before companies want to go into your email too, hell, why not look at my online banking statements too?

**** it let's just skip the BS and put in all the bullshit in 1984

Sure: E@+_m!_@$$

Didn't work. But I tried iheartobama and it worked perfectly

 

[the canadian dream]

Not sure, but I do hope it sets a good precedent up.



I don't think anyone is arguing that you should share anything of that level with anyone. I think the distasteful part is that it's being reported (according to my last CNN link) that it's implied as a condition of employment. I think in terms of social media where there is a division of privacy (such as Facebook, where you can have pictures, events, status updates, etc.) that if the division is there, you have the right to take full advantage of it and keep that portion only open to people you see fit.



After all, it's not like the company will provide me with the access to the account balance sheet and financial records so that I can ensure I'm working for a legitimate firm, right?

BOOM!!



Right on



This is nothing more than those who already have power wanting more...needing more. It's absolutley disgusting. We wouldn't want our governments having access to everything in our private lives then why should any company or business have the rights to it? It's a fucking joke and could be a complete nightmare. There is no such thing as freedom if shit like this ever becomes mainstream.

 

[the canadian dream]

If you are dumb enough to give your password to anyone then you get what you deserve.



Also, if you are dumb enough to post stupid #$%^ about yourself that can self incriminating on a public forum, then you get what you deserve.



And if, you don't know how to lock your stuff down like on FB then you get what you deserve.





And I do know employers that run credit checks on possible employees just like they search all of the available and commonly used social forums to see what you do, say or others have posted of you. If you are dumb enough to do it publicly or have it shared publicly then you get what you deserve.

And what do we do with the dumb shits that can't translate the written word properly or well enough in social forums? Satire and such always gets lost in translation in public forums esp by those who really don't know the individual posting etc. This site a lone is a great example of that sometimes.



For example I may say nasty shit about people on this site. 90% of those who are on this site know it's all just in fun. Someone new to the site would have no idea and would consider me as being a legit asshole who wants to tickle Jako's taint.



Public forums are still used by some as playgrounds and not as business orientated networks. Just because almost every business and company have latched on to these sites like facebook as a business tool doesn't mean they own them and can use them as they like.

 

[the canadian dream]

oh and by the way. I actually do have my work place as a friend on facebook. The reasons is because my bosses and I actually do talk to each other like human beings face to face and not through spy games. I respect my bosses private lives and they respect mine because they take time to talk to me and I take time to talk to them FACE TO FACE. Nothing could be more healthy in a working relationship.



Nothing makes employee and employer relationships worse than spy games. NOTHING!!

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

Which organizations/employers are demanding this? I read the article, and it was rather vague on who was asking for passwords.

Well, I have a friend who works in cutting edge science with a seriously secretive nature. While interviewing for a job they were warned that their background check would go through everything on the internet about them....including facebook. They were asked if they had a facebook account and if they could login so it could be reviewed. He refused...and interestingly enough did not get the job.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

apparently the right to privacy does not extend to the internet. Only a matter of time before companies want to go into your email too, hell, why not look at my online banking statements too?

We scan email at work (work or otherwise that originates from our networks). Since we deal alot with sensitive information of students, it is an automated system to ensure that people are not emailing that information anywhere (encrypted or not....actually encrypted email goes to the bit bucket).





Maybe not actual bank statements, but a credit check can be run on you and all of the flags that go with it are known to your employeer. A previous company I worked for stated outright that they were doing this on an annual or semi-annual basis for all staff that had full access to their various databases and the information contained within. I suspect that since money was coming in droves to this company they would try catch anyone in financial trouble that would try to find ways to skim information.

 

[Rex]

We scan email at work (work or otherwise that originates from our networks). Since we deal alot with sensitive information of students, it is an automated system to ensure that people are not emailing that information anywhere (encrypted or not....actually encrypted email goes to the bit bucket).





Maybe not actual bank statements, but a credit check can be run on you and all of the flags that go with it are known to your employeer. A previous company I worked for stated outright that they were doing this on an annual or semi-annual basis for all staff that had full access to their various databases and the information contained within. I suspect that since money was coming in droves to this company they would try catch anyone in financial trouble that would try to find ways to skim information.

Yeah, I work for one of the largest banks/financial institutes in North America, and they did the usual criminal check and credit check before I got hired on. A credit check though, is a lot different than looking at my statements.

 

[mikita's helmet]

[font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]**** it let's just skip the BS and put in all the bullshit in 1984[/font]

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

Yeah, I work for one of the largest banks/financial institutes in North America, and they did the usual criminal check and credit check before I got hired on. A credit check though, is a lot different than looking at my statements.

The thing is they regularly did this check on us. While they do not get the hard numbers, it is easy to spot those that are in financial trouble (or magically start doing better), which put them at risk of abusing the information they have access to. This was also at a time when access to company sensitive information was more free in the IT world.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

And to just be clear, I am not a fan of any business snoping too far into my life as their employee as I generally prefer (and manage by) trust. Though if they are upfront with what they are doing at least I know and know that it might be time to move on if I am uncomfortable with it.

 

[dlrob315]

And to just be clear, I am not a fan of any business snoping too far into my life as their employee as I generally prefer (and manage by) trust. Though if they are upfront with what they are doing at least I know and know that it might be time to move on if I am uncomfortable with it.

Exactly this^, peoples privacy is not being compromised as long as it is asked up front to see these private things. Privacy is compromised if done without your knowledge.

 

[jakobeast]

And what do we do with the dumb shits that can't translate the written word properly or well enough in social forums? Satire and such always gets lost in translation in public forums esp by those who really don't know the individual posting etc. This site a lone is a great example of that sometimes.



For example I may say nasty shit about people on this site. 90% of those who are on this site know it's all just in fun. Someone new to the site would have no idea and would consider me as being a legit asshole who wants to tickle Jako's taint.



Public forums are still used by some as playgrounds and not as business orientated networks. Just because almost every business and company have latched on to these sites like facebook as a business tool doesn't mean they own them and can use them as they like.

Sooooo, you don't want to tickle my taint?

 

[whiteevo]

next thing you know they will want to see my homemade porn.

 

[LordKOTL]

Surfing the web on the job means that you're a risk for them knowing exactly what you do on the company's internet. It's like talking on the phone with the old-style landlines...someone could listen in from within the circuit. That's not at issue...



Using another example...You're at home watching TV (for the sake of this example let's say that your tv can be seen out of the window that overlooks a street or other public spot). You're watching porn. You're an adult and you paid for the video/channel, so you're well within your rights. You don't think it should be public consumption that you watch porn and when you watch it, so you close the blinds so no one can look in. Now, in trying to get a job, the company says that you have to keep your blinds open to them so that they can monitor what you watch on TV.



Even though yeah, you'd be an idiot for falling for their demands even in a tough job climate, the fact remains that it would still be illegal for the company to do so--because you're afforded the right to be able to close your blinds. Further, I think the EEOC states that in this case it would be illegal at worst unethical at best for a company to deny you the job because you refuse to allow them to peek in your windows.



The facebook cases are not so different than this. I think an example needs to be made, and soon.

 

[CLWolf81]

And so it begins in the public sector....



A teacher's aide in Michigan gets fired for not giving her facebook password out...



She's taking the letter to court now.... Ooooooh boy....

 

[the canadian dream]

Yup this shit is going to clog the courts.





nice work