http://www.wral.com/business/story/10878405/

Quote :

"SEATTLE — When Justin Bassett interviewed for a new job, he expected the usual questions about experience and references. So he was astonished when the interviewer asked for something else: his Facebook username and password. Bassett, a New York City statistician, had just finished answering a few character questions when the interviewer turned to her computer to search for his Facebook page. But she couldn't see his private profile. She turned back and asked him to hand over his login information. Bassett refused and withdrew his application, saying he didn't want to work for a company that would seek such personal information. But as the job market steadily improves, other job candidates are confronting the same question from prospective employers, and some of them cannot afford to say no. In their efforts to vet applicants, some companies and government agencies are going beyond merely glancing at a person's social networking profiles and instead asking to log in as the user to have a look around. "It's akin to requiring someone's house keys," said Orin Kerr, a George Washington University law professor and former federal prosecutor who calls it "an egregious privacy violation." Questions have been raised about the legality of the practice, which is also the focus of proposed legislation in Illinois and Maryland that would forbid public agencies from asking for access to social networks. Since the rise of social networking, it has become common for managers to review publically available Facebook profiles, Twitter accounts and other sites to learn more about job candidates. But many users, especially on Facebook, have their profiles set to private, making them available only to selected people or certain networks. Companies that don't ask for passwords have taken other steps — such as asking applicants to friend human resource managers or to log in to a company computer during an interview. Once employed, some workers have been required to sign non-disparagement agreements that ban them from talking negatively about an employer on social media. Asking for a candidate's password is more prevalent among public agencies, especially those seeking to fill law enforcement positions such as police officers or 911 dispatchers. Back in 2010, Robert Collins was returning to his job as a security guard at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services after taking a leave following his mother's death. During a reinstatement interview, he was asked for his login and password, purportedly so the agency could check for any gang affiliations. He was stunned by the request but complied. "I needed my job to feed my family. I had to," he recalled, After the ACLU complained about the practice, the agency amended its policy, asking instead for job applicants to log in during interviews. "To me, that's still invasive. I can appreciate the desire to learn more about the applicant, but it's still a violation of people's personal privacy," said Collins, whose case inspired Maryland's legislation. Until last year, the city of Bozeman, Mont., had a long-standing policy of asking job applicants for passwords to their email addresses, social-networking websites and other online accounts. And since 2006, the McLean County, Ill., sheriff's office has been one of several Illinois sheriff's departments that ask applicants to sign into social media sites to be screened. Chief Deputy Rusty Thomas defended the practice, saying applicants have a right to refuse. But no one has ever done so. Thomas said that "speaks well of the people we have apply." When asked what sort of material would jeopardize job prospects, Thomas said "it depends on the situation" but could include "inappropriate pictures or relationships with people who are underage, illegal behavior." In Spotsylvania County, Va., the sheriff's department asks applicants to friend background investigators for jobs at the 911 dispatch center and for law enforcement positions. "In the past, we've talked to friends and neighbors, but a lot of times we found that applicants interact more through social media sites than they do with real friends," said Capt. Mike Harvey. "Their virtual friends will know more about them than a person living 30 yards away from them." Harvey said investigators look for any "derogatory" behavior that could damage the agency's reputation. E. Chandlee Bryan, a career coach and co-author of the book "The Twitter Job Search Guide," said job seekers should always be aware of what's on their social media sites and assume someone is going to look at it. Bryan said she is troubled by companies asking for logins, but she feels it's not a violation if an employer asks to see a Facebook profile through a friend request. And she's not troubled by non-disparagement agreements. "I think that when you work for a company, they are essentially supporting you in exchange for your work. I think if you're dissatisfied, you should go to them and not on a social media site," she said. More companies are also using third-party applications to scour Facebook profiles, Bryan said. One app called BeKnown can sometimes access personal profiles, short of wall messages, if a job seeker allows it. Sears is one of the companies using apps. An applicant has the option of logging into the Sears job site through Facebook by allowing a third-party application to draw information from the profile, such as friend lists. Sears Holdings Inc. spokeswoman Kim Freely said using a Facebook profile to apply allows Sears to be updated on the applicant's work history. The company assumes "that people keep their social profiles updated to the minute, which allows us to consider them for other jobs in the future or for ones that they may not realize are available currently," she said. Giving out Facebook login information violates the social network's terms of service. But those terms have no real legal weight, and experts say the legality of asking for such information remains murky. The Department of Justice regards it as a federal crime to enter a social networking site in violation of the terms of service, but during recent congressional testimony, the agency said such violations would not be prosecuted. But Lori Andrews, law professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law specializing in Internet privacy, is concerned about the pressure placed on applicants, even if they voluntarily provide access to social sites. "Volunteering is coercion if you need a job," Andrews said. Neither Facebook nor Twitter responded to repeated requests for comment. In New York, Bassett considered himself lucky that he was able to turn down the consulting gig at a lobbying firm. "I think asking for account login credentials is regressive," he said. "If you need to put food on the table for your three kids, you can't afford to stand up for your belief.""

What the hell? I am not sure if this should be illegal or not, but you have to question the integrity of a company that wants access to your private messages, list of friends, etc in an interview setting.

What is to stop them from asking for your bank account Login, email passwords, Google account passwords, dating site passwords, credit cards, etc?

While they are at it they should ask for your cell phone so they can go through your text messages, photos, and see where else you are applying.

3/20/2012 11:39:17 AM

While I believe it is fucking shitty for a company to require that of their employees. It shouldn't be illegal. You have the right to not work there.

With that said, I don't plan on drug testing or doing super deep background checks on my employees.



[Edited on March 20, 2012 at 11:45 AM. Reason : words]

3/20/2012 11:43:51 AM

I used to be morally opposed pre-employment drug screening, however its pretty easy to pass a piss test that you know is coming for weeks...if you fail that you are probably too stupid to work for the business in question.

Random testing while employed I am not a huge fan of but most companies do not do that, even if they reserve the right to.

3/20/2012 11:48:05 AM

Now people will set up an employer fb account where they talk about telling bedtime stories to 9/11 orphans and a real facebook account where they show their true colors.

I mean, it's the easiest system to beat, except for just telling them you don't have a fb account.

3/20/2012 12:02:30 PM

This will eventually go to court and be ruled illegal. (I Hope)

3/20/2012 12:11:00 PM

And what happens when you tell them you don't have a facebook account?

Easy solution.

3/20/2012 12:14:55 PM

If an employer demands a login/password as a condition of employment they are in violation of the Stored Communications Act.

3/20/2012 12:16:02 PM

Anyone else wishing this was from The Onion?

3/20/2012 12:29:35 PM

doesn't sounds like there is any "demand" involved. However, the practice of asking and receiving a "no" will definitely influence the hiring decision. Therefore, imo, it's a massive breach of privacy and should be illegal.

Who's to say that the computer you log into doesn't store than information? On top of that, your personal information not only can be accessed, but now not protected by the person. Also opens up the door of profile manipulation. Just bad practice all around.

Like the person in the article said, it's hard to stand up for yourself when you need to feed your family. This probably becomes a larger issue when the economy pushes harder to the good side.

3/20/2012 12:33:36 PM

"Oh look, this guy is desperate for a job his kid might be hungry and his mortgage behind....let me look at his messages between him and his girlfriend or drinking buddies."

I have to say I would despise a company that did that, and even if I gave the login info and took the job out of desperation would be looking for the door on day one. Its just fucked up on every level.

3/20/2012 12:48:47 PM

3/20/2012 12:55:09 PM

I honestly don't know what I would do in this situation. I have my Facebook set so people can't search for it so I guess I would just lie and say I don't have a Facebook page.

3/20/2012 1:30:06 PM

The most troubling thing for me is this line of questioning is a potential workaround for questions they're not allowed to ask like about marital status, etc.

3/20/2012 1:32:54 PM

that's a really really good point. Discrimination potential unlimited.

3/20/2012 1:36:01 PM

^^Not just marital status, but health, any illnesses they don't want to cover under insurance, whether or not someone is planning on having a family, sexuality, etc.

3/20/2012 1:41:54 PM

"Once we logged into his facebook account we realized he was black... so..."

3/20/2012 1:58:40 PM

I think you might be able to tell that from the interview.

3/20/2012 2:00:32 PM

Quote :

"Once we logged into his facebook account we realized he was black... so..."

Oh good old fashioned racism

3/20/2012 2:03:03 PM

If only they had checked his Facebook profile first.

[Edited on March 20, 2012 at 2:33 PM. Reason : a]

3/20/2012 2:33:02 PM

Quote :

"The most troubling thing for me is this line of questioning is a potential workaround for questions they're not allowed to ask like about marital status, etc."

Quote :

"When asked what sort of material would jeopardize job prospects, Thomas said "it depends on the situation" but could include "inappropriate pictures or relationships with people who are underage"

Hmmmm

They did mention that its the alternative to asking neighbors and such, which makes me think...what did they ask neighbors?

3/20/2012 2:56:14 PM

Just think, if Joe Paterno had gotten Sandusky's Compuserve login..

3/20/2012 3:13:32 PM

Good for him for walking out and calling them out

3/20/2012 3:13:38 PM

I would tell the company to go "fuck themselves."

What's next a log-in to your bank account to see where you are spending your money.
That'd be perfect for some dry christian HR manager who does not want to hire someone drinking the devil's liquid!!

3/20/2012 3:54:31 PM

If I was asked that in an interview I would simply ask them why they find that relevant for my employment purposes and why I would want to work for a company requiring that type of information. An interview works both ways and if that is what is preventing me from being hired then so be it. My personal life is my business and if it is not something that can be found openly I shouldn't have to disclose it (with the obvious exceptions of conflicts of interest and whatnot that can actually have an effect on the business).

3/20/2012 4:00:32 PM

Yeah, this most likely violates the TOS, gives them access to info they're barred from asking for by federal law, and is basically a sign of a super shitty company.

3/20/2012 4:09:07 PM

i would lie and tell them that i deleted my facebook account about a month ago

3/20/2012 4:18:37 PM

no way i'd ever agree to this

3/20/2012 4:30:14 PM

I would get up and leave as soon as they asked for this. And I don't even have a facebook account.

3/20/2012 5:06:40 PM

What a crock. Next thing you know, they'll be asking to check inside our assholes.

3/20/2012 5:17:54 PM

Quote :

"While I believe it is fucking shitty for a company to require that of their employees. It shouldn't be illegal."

What if they asked for the credentials to your online bank account?

Quote :

"Anyone else wishing this was from The Onion?"

http://www.reddit.com/r/nottheonion

[Edited on March 20, 2012 at 7:00 PM. Reason : <>]

3/20/2012 6:56:00 PM

Quote :

"I would tell the company to go "fuck themselves." What's next a log-in to your bank account to see where you are spending your money."

this.

I don't even think employers should be able to drug test. if you perform badly at work or come in intoxicated than maybe, but a pre-screen is bullshit. what people do on their own time is their own business in my opinion.

/libertarian rant

3/20/2012 7:14:47 PM

Quote :

"/libertarian rant"

The problem is that the libertarian viewpoint would be to allow employees and employers to do whatever the fuck they want... which means drug test you everyday and ask for your bank account if they want

I lean libertarian on a lot of issues, but this is going to end up with some people getting seriously exploited.

3/20/2012 7:20:56 PM

Ask for the interviewers company email account and password. And the root password for the company servers.

3/20/2012 7:23:24 PM

Has anything good ever come from having a facebook account?

3/20/2012 8:17:50 PM

I was reunited with my long lost cousin because of Facebook

3/20/2012 8:26:43 PM

Guy at my work met his wife on facebook. He's not a bad looking guy, so you figure he could get a girl through traditional means, but he was scared to death to talk to them. So he set up the whole thing online and then like the third girl he found, he proposed, craziest thing. She's actually pretty good for a date finder broad; brunette, maybe 5'5", probably high b/low c. Bit of a pudge but nothing a few months of Zumba can't fix. Think maybe a homeless man's Rose Byrne.

[Edited on March 20, 2012 at 8:38 PM. Reason : x]

3/20/2012 8:37:35 PM

wow

3/20/2012 8:49:16 PM

^^^^ I totally banged an ex during a slump thanks to facebook

3/20/2012 8:52:14 PM

I was talking more in terms of work. The random lay, although wonderful, hardly seems worth the risk of losing your job because details of your life made it online.

If you can bang a broad through facebook, you can bang a broad at the bar.

3/20/2012 9:39:06 PM

^ how do you send that bitch a smiley at the bar? bitches love smileys!

3/20/2012 10:00:51 PM

I'd just ask them for a list of all their employees Facebook passwords (especially any prospective managers and execs should I get the job) so I can make sure they meet my qualifications for people I want to work for/with.

3/20/2012 10:33:06 PM

Quote :

"What a crock cock. Next thing you know, they'll be asking to check inside our assholes."

But you would like that, wouldn't you?!


[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 6:05 AM. Reason : FTFY]

3/21/2012 5:55:53 AM

The world would be a better place if you would stop trying to be funny. You're not any good at it.

3/21/2012 7:12:48 AM

I came in here to say all of the things that everyone else has already said

3/21/2012 7:49:34 AM

What if when the interviewer asked for your login information you stared at them stone faced and said "would you like to check inside my asshole too?"

If you could do that without laughing or showing any emotion it would be the funniest shit ever.

3/21/2012 9:51:37 AM

Even better if you just pulled your pants down and spread your cheeks unprompted.

3/21/2012 10:29:45 AM

3/21/2012 11:05:38 AM

seriously, if an employer asked me for my facebook login info, i would NOT want to work for that company. If they are that nosy during the interview, i can't imagine the working conditions would be very good.

that being said, I already have a job and it's a lot easier to say that stuff while I'm not behind on my bills due to unemployment... it's a very shitty thing for potential employers to do.

3/21/2012 11:25:23 AM

I use LastPass so I don't know my Facebook account password.

3/21/2012 11:29:48 AM

Quote :

"Even better if you just pulled your pants down and spread your cheeks unprompted."

Don't forget to lift your sack.

3/21/2012 12:25:27 PM