Every Erosion Of Privacy Leads To The Next
The TSA gropings make it possible for NFL stadium gropings to be accepted.
Yes, one is the government groping without probable cause and the other is a private business (if you don't like that, just don't go), but could you imagine the outcry if the stadium gropings hadn't been preceded by the TSA's?
Stacy Curtin writes at Yahoo Finance about "OUTRAGE OF THE DAY: Employers Asking For Facebook Passwords."
The first rule about the Internet is you don't talk about, or share, your Internet passwords. But that is exactly what some employers are asking job applicants to do: share their Facebook login and password.As many of us know, Facebook users include a wide-rage of personal information on their profiles, including sex, age, religion and sexual orientation, all of which protected under federal equal opportunity employment laws.
After news of this hiring practice surfaced last week, Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Richard Blumenthal have now called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate whether this employer conduct violates federal law.
"In an age where more and more of our personal information -- and our private social interactions -- are online, it is vital that all individuals be allowed to determine for themselves what personal information they want to make public and protect personal information from their would-be employers," said Schumer in a statement. "This is especially important during the job-seeking process, when all the power is on one side of the fence."
Facebook has even weighed into this controversy, siding with the privacy of all its members. On Friday, the social media giant threatened potential legal action against employers who use this practice during the hiring process.
"We don't think employers should be asking prospective employees to provide their passwords because we don't think it's the right thing to do," Facebook said in a statement. "While we do not have any immediate plans to take legal action against any specific employers, we look forward to engaging with policy makers and other stakeholders, to help better safeguard the privacy of our users."
Of course, Facebook cares about Facebook privacy like I care about who's getting traded to Miami (in whichever sport they happen to do that sort of thing).
I've wondered what they do about people with no Facebook account.
At that, it's stupid. For all you managers out there:
If I can be compelled to give you MY password, I have less regard for protecting YOUR security. Hey, I'll give someone else your passwords at some point. Nice going.
Radwaste at March 27, 2012 2:43 AM
Those evil hiring managers! Whatever could they be doing that for!
Well, luckily, your postings on Facebook (or twitter) could NEVER be used against you -or your employer! - in legal action!
(I disagree with the idea, but OTOH, nobody seems to care about the massive liability social networking opens employers up to - instead insisting that they should eat those costs, and missing what that means the market will do as a result.)
Unix-Jedi at March 27, 2012 4:55 AM
"Of course, Facebook cares about Facebook privacy like I care about who's getting traded to Miami (in whichever sport they happen to do that sort of thing)."
I suspect you'd care if the Dolphins somehow impacted your business, and I suspect Facebook cares about Facebook privacy to the extent that it impacts their revenue. If employer hiring practices indirectly chase people away from social media, Facebook will care about it.
The Dolphins play football, by the way, although the image of a helmeted Cetacean is a little strange.
Old RPM Daddy at March 27, 2012 5:19 AM
As posted elsewhere, giving someone, anyone, else your password is a violation of Facebook's policy:
Section 4-8 of the Facebook Privacy Policy states: "You will not share your password, (or in the case of developers, your secret key), let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account." If any hiring manager is not responsible enough to at least check Facebooks' privacy terms to make certain they are not putting either you or the hiring company in violation of the policy then run away from the employer. The answer is simple: You cannot give them your user id and/or password because it violates the Facebook privacy agreement.
Done deal, as far as I'm concerned. If an employer asks me for mine, I'll just smile sweetly and say "Sure. When you give me YOURS."
And then, I'm out the door.
Flynne at March 27, 2012 6:15 AM
I have always had 2 Facebook accounts, one is the one I always use and the other I use on Monday and Friday along with all of the other routine IT tasks I do. The limited one is in my Real name (the other is the nickname that most people know me by) and I am friends with my wife (her professional account), my brother and about 15-20 business or professional contacts. The only info presented is the same stuff that is on my resume or in a cover letter, the things I like are all professional. If you Google me, this page comes up and I have very little privacy on it, so I would let them do that and help them find the right page. I would never give any password or type it where a key stroke application could get it, even if I change it right away, they would still have had unrestricted access to MY stuff and that will not happen.
Piper at March 27, 2012 8:44 AM
"The Dolphins play football,..."
Allegedly.
Cousin Dave at March 27, 2012 2:12 PM
I do not and will not ever have an FB/Twitter account.
I wonder what an HR would do if then knew about my personal accounts.
But no person gets to know my passwords. Why do you think they are passwords?
Jim P. at March 27, 2012 8:49 PM
I really don't see why people are MORE upset about this? This seems like such a total invasion of privacy and I am really mad about this! All of you personal info on FB is none of their business. Imagine, it's not just the public stuff you post but your contacts, your private messages, everything. Obviously it's easy to say "Well just don't give it to them" but they really are putting a regular lower to middle class person in a really tough position. If you have a family and are desperate for a job you may not feel like you have a choice. (Choosing to NOT feed your children and lose your house don't seem like a choice many people could make!!)
CC at March 28, 2012 8:21 AM
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