Job seekers getting asked for Facebook passwords
The answer is “No”. If I were applying for some kind of occupation that required a Top Secret clearance or NDA, then I’d think about it.
"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells
Privacy issues can be sticky. There’s always the assumption that if you have nothing to hide, why not let people into these areas of your private life? But the problem isn’t whether one has something to hide, but whether the gov’t agency or employer has the right to demand access. The 4th Amendment was written to protect the innocent, not the guilty. If an employer has doubts about a prospective employee and wants FB access as some kind of test, I think they have already answered their own question about the prospect’s suitability. If the gov’t wants access, provide reasonable cause and a warrant.
First day on the job - March 7th, 1994
- Coworker asks me for my password.
- I tell him my password.
- He tells me: “Never give your password to anybody!”
http://www.daytondailynews.com/business/facebook-warns-employers-not-to…
In a post on Friday, Facebook’s chief privacy officer cautions that if an employer discovers that a job applicant is a member of a protected group, the employer may open itself up to claims of discrimination if it doesn’t hire that person.
“If you are a Facebook user, you should never have to share your password,” Erin Egan wrote.
There’s something really really ironic about Facebook arguing for privacy. It’s hard to imagine anywhere that the walls of privacy have been eradicated more than facebook.
To the point, if you don’t want to give them your password, then don’t. But it’s not a federal case. There is not, as of yet, a law against asking that I know of. Of course, as soon as some congressman finds out about it (if they haven’t already), there probably will be. And that’s because we have a full time legislature filling a part time position.
Furthermore, there’s no requirement to provide it. Just say No. Thank them for their time, and go on about your business.
But if the choice is between feeding your family and giving our your password (as the article suggests), is that really a choice? Seems like a no-brainer to me.
To the point, if you don’t want to give them your password, then don’t. But it’s not a federal case. There is not, as of yet, a law against asking that I know of. Of course, as soon as some congressman finds out about it (if they haven’t already), there probably will be. And that’s because we have a full time legislature filling a part time position.
Furthermore, there’s no requirement to provide it. Just say No. Thank them for their time, and go on about your business.
But if the choice is between feeding your family and giving our your password (as the article suggests), is that really a choice? Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Discussion