Employers and colleges demanding Facebook passwords

Azdak

I came across this story today:

http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/06/10585353-govt-agencies-colleges-demand-applicants-facebook-passwords

It seems that some government agencies are trying to make job applicants open up their private Facebook pages as part of the job interview process. Other colleges are demanding that athletes "friend" a coach or compliance officer, so that the college official can have access to the athlete's Facebook page.

Seeing that I am against most pre-employment drug screening, it's no surprise that I find this completely reprehensible.

The ACLU is fighting this in Maryland, supporting legislation that would ban the practice. In some ways I see this as part of a trend that started even before 9/11, part of the same trend that produced the Citizens United decision by the SCOTUS. It's the elevation of corporate interests above private ones.

One can probably make the case that with Google and other widespread data-mining practices, any idea of "personal privacy" is quaint and naive anyhow. But, even if just symbolically, this seems to be crossing the line (or at least MY line).

BerryH

It's pretty reprehensible, but not entirely surprising for government agencies. After all they have to pick up the pieces should something aberrant later be disclosed about an employee. And who's to say the employee doesn't have a separate work and personal profile anyhow?

I know for a fact that potential employers have scrutinised all of my readily searched social networking profiles from questions they have asked me at interview. I pretty much always think what would my employer or my dad think before I post pretty much anything. It's a great self-editing process!

LuckyLeprechaun

I would simply delete my facebook page. I agree this is definitely crossing the line of appropriate.

I had an employer that asked us to like their page, but it wasn't mandatory, it wasn't forced at all. Some of us did it, some didn't. No biggie.
I cannot imagine a circumstance where I'd feel comfortable giving anyone my password. NO WAY.

_SusieQ_

I would simply delete my facebook page. I agree this is definitely crossing the line of appropriate.

Yep, this. It's not like I feel like I have anything to hide on FB, but it's the principle of it, IMO.

taso42

It sounds like a test. If you give up your password, you're automatically disqualified because it demonstrates poor security practices. At least this is the case in my little fantasy world.

LuckyLeprechaun

I would simply delete my facebook page. I agree this is definitely crossing the line of appropriate.

Yep, this. It's not like I feel like I have anything to hide on FB, but it's the principle of it, IMO.

ditto. I am friends with my nephew's mother, so I hae to very carefully consider anything I add to FB because she's a little tooo crazy for Jesus, and I need to make sure she doesn't decide I'm the devil and cut me off from seeing him. So my FB is very tame/SFW anyway. BUT the idea of this would cause me to get rid of it altogether.

LuckyLeprechaun

It sounds like a test. If you give up your password, you're automatically disqualified because it demonstrates poor security practices. At least this is the case in my little fantasy world.

Thank you gentlemen, you're everything we have come to expect from years of government training. Now if you just look at this light......FLASH!

:bigsmile:

_Timmeh_

Delete it? Prove I have one. Type in my name and 100 other facebook pages show up.

Bahet

Delete it? Prove I have one. Type in my name and 100 other facebook pages show up.

Years ago I got a bill from the phone company demanding we pay a delinquent bill. I called them because we were never behind. It turned out someone with my husband's name was delinquent. When i pointed out that the address was different and the phone number was different they said it didn't matter because the name was the same. I told them that unless they bill every John Smith any time any one of them is delinquent they can bite me. I also told them that if they are upset about the bill for (his number) being delinquent that they should go ahead and shut the phone off but if they ared touch our line they'd find themselves in court.

Ironically, he also had a problem with a bank regarding a car loan. The banker was very snooty and finally said "Look, if you don't pay $500(ish) today we are going to repossess your Camaro." Since hubby drove a Taurus he just laughed at him and said "Go right ahead. I don't own a Camaro." Only then did the guy start to belive that hubby only shared the same name as this other guy.

meerkat70

This is just incredible.

I guess it becomes deniable if you don't have a current photo on the front page... ?

But we've tolerated too many encroachments onto our online lives - as if our online private life stopped somehow being our own leisure time and space. All the people we've tutted over because they posted something ill considered on their facebook or twitter feeds. Teachers losing their jobs for instance. Not resisting the censure they faced was our first step towards this kind of situation.

MikeSEA

I always suggest keep separate facebook accounts for employment purposes that are distinct from private fb accounts. Go ahead and friend me on my boring account that nothing ever happens on. Feel free.

That said, yes, it's offensive.

kit_katty

It's offensive and an invasion of privacy! That's ridiculous!

BrettPGH

We talked about this briefly today at work. (and I work in HR for a govt. agency so it's applicable). My director was shocked.

I too would delete mine before they asked. That's just a horrible invasion of privacy. No defense for it. This is what happens because nobody fought drug testing hard enough. Let them start to take your rights away and they won't ever stop until they're forced to.

Luckily I never use Facebook anymore. But let them ask for my MFP profile and I am in trouble!

KaleidoscopeEyes1056

Delete it? Prove I have one. Type in my name and 100 other facebook pages show up.

^^ This. I always have to find other people on facebook because my name is so damn common. Before you find the one that's me, you have to look through so many other pages of people with my name. I know if my employer ever asked me for my contact information for facebook, I wouldn't give it to them. What I post on my facebook has nothing to do with how I do my job. They did a criminal background check on me, and it came back clear, that's all they have to know.

fbmandy55

I see absolutley no point in it other than being an invasion of your personal life and privacy. IF we allow this, what next? Employers want to do a walk-through of your home? Ride in a car with you? No thanks. My personal life is MINE. I openly share my personal life but who i share it with is MY choice.

NightOwl1

If someone asked me to do that in an interview, I would get up, thank them for their time, and leave.

I will not allow my employer to regulate what I do in my personal life on my personal time.

flyawaybyebye

I would simply delete my facebook page. I agree this is definitely crossing the line of appropriate.

Exactly.

KimmyEB

If someone asked me to do that in an interview, I would get up, thank them for their time, and leave.

I will not allow my employer to regulate what I do in my personal life on my personal time.

^Same here.

I'll be definitely deleting my Facebook, or creating a different one under a fake name and different email once I start looking for places to intern at. But I absolutely refuse to give ANYONE my password simply because they feel they have a right to know it.

castadiva

Er, is that actually legal? Not 100% sure, but I don't think it would be here...

In any case, that sort of demand represents a gross invasion of privacy. If something can be found on a search engine, fine, it's in the public domain. Anything that is password-protected and has privacy settings to ensure that it is not found on Google, is no-ones business except the account holder's, unless it contravenes the law or puts others at risk.

TheRoadDog

It was just a matter of time. It'll never fly, though. But it does bring up the question of why it is so important to document every little thing going on in your life.

From the movie "Easy A"

Mr. Griffith: "I don't know what your generation's fascination is with documenting your every thought... but I can assure you, they're not all diamonds. "Roman is having an OK day, and bought a Coke Zero at the gas station. Raise the roof." Who gives a rat's @ss? "

castadiva

Thin edge of the wedge - if this is allowed, what's to stop employers/colleges etc. demanding passwords for private email accounts in due course?

Azdak

Er, is that actually legal? Not 100% sure, but I don't think it would be here...

In any case, that sort of demand represents a gross invasion of privacy. If something can be found on a search engine, fine, it's in the public domain. Anything that is password-protected and has privacy settings to ensure that it is not found on Google, is no-ones business except the account holder's, unless it contravenes the law or puts others at risk.

Sometimes it's a legal gray area, sometimes it's not technically legal, but they skirt around it by asking you in the job interview to "voluntarily" give the information, or they have a laptop and ask you to log in to your site during the interview so they, or someone else, can check it out.

It's all a matter of leverage, which I mentioned in the original post. You have high unemployment, people are desperate for jobs, and so they are much more willing to undergo these invasions of privacy. The same kinds of things happen on the job as well--people are pressured into working extra hours without compensation, subject to various forms of discrimination, etc. Even when there are rules or laws against such behavior, many/most employees are afraid to say anything: 1) because they need the job and are afraid they can't get another; 2) in the current socio-political climate they know the corporations have the resources and power to buy off whatever regulator, lawmaker, police official, etc they need to in order to get their.

Some people might think this is the natural dynamic of the market--if there were more jobs than people, employers would have to pay higher wages, provide increased benefits, be less invasive, etc. My personal feeling is that one role of government is to act as "referee"--not to completely control the game, but to take the edge off the more extreme swings of market dynamics and to enforce some basic rules--like setting higher standards of protected personal privacy.

fbmandy55

Er, is that actually legal? Not 100% sure, but I don't think it would be here...

In any case, that sort of demand represents a gross invasion of privacy. If something can be found on a search engine, fine, it's in the public domain. Anything that is password-protected and has privacy settings to ensure that it is not found on Google, is no-ones business except the account holder's, unless it contravenes the law or puts others at risk.

Well I work in a no-fault state where you can be fired for any reason at anytime. An employer can easily fire someone for NOT giving this info and nothing could be done about it. I've known someone who was fired for being pregnant, for turning in a co-worker who was stealing and someone who was fired for refusing to commit fraud.

KayteeBear

Delete it? Prove I have one. Type in my name and 100 other facebook pages show up.

If you type in my name ( only first and last name) I am seriously the ONLY profile that shows up. haha

I think that's ridiculous. I would never give my Facebook password to employers or anything. Not that I have anything to hide. I never, ever post stupid pictures of me drinking/drunk/at parties/doing drugs/etc,etc,etc or slutty pictures. Heck, I barely post pictures at all and I'm never tagged at pictures (no do I allow myself to be photographed doing things like that anyway). I never ***** about people, family, friends, etc. My account is mainly to keep in touch with friends and family that I never see. That's it. But I still would never give out my password just so they can snoop and try to learn some stuff on me.

Bahet

Er, is that actually legal? Not 100% sure, but I don't think it would be here...

In any case, that sort of demand represents a gross invasion of privacy. If something can be found on a search engine, fine, it's in the public domain. Anything that is password-protected and has privacy settings to ensure that it is not found on Google, is no-ones business except the account holder's, unless it contravenes the law or puts others at risk.

The Constitution doesn't carry much weight here anymore.

adrian_indy

Probably a good thing I am a stay at home dad at the moment because if someone demanded my FB password I would tell them to go **** themself in the *kitten* with a jagged glass *kitten*.

sdrawkcabynot

Er, is that actually legal? Not 100% sure, but I don't think it would be here...

In any case, that sort of demand represents a gross invasion of privacy. If something can be found on a search engine, fine, it's in the public domain. Anything that is password-protected and has privacy settings to ensure that it is not found on Google, is no-ones business except the account holder's, unless it contravenes the law or puts others at risk.

The Constitution doesn't carry much weight here anymore.

<in redneck voice> but I can carry my gun! (ps... i don't own one)

ojell

I heard about this, and I disagree with it.

ojell

Probably a good thing I am a stay at home dad at the moment because if someone demanded my FB password I would tell them to go **** themself in the *kitten* with a jagged glass *kitten*.

LOLOLOL

TheRoadDog

They can have my password when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.

SkateboardFi

If someone asked me to do that in an interview, I would get up, thank them for their time, and leave.

I will not allow my employer to regulate what I do in my personal life on my personal time.

^Same here.

I'll be definitely deleting my Facebook, or creating a different one under a fake name and different email once I start looking for places to intern at. But I absolutely refuse to give ANYONE my password simply because they feel they have a right to know it.

i agree with this fully. i don't have my real name on facebook for this exact reason. i believe social media should be just that. social. which is why i don't bad mouth my employers on there either, the two should be separate.