Job Seekers Getting Asked for Facebook Passwords (credit, interviewing, employers)

[Tober138]

I do not have an issue with a company asking - they can ask an applicant for anything they want, as long as the request is not illegal. And the applicant has every right to refuse.

Personally, if I were in the shoes of the person in the OP's article, I would likely refuse as well. I would consider it an invasion of privacy. That said, I take care that anything I may happen to post on line that may make its way into the public domain (i.e., something anyone could find) be something that I do not mind anyone seeing in the first place.

[manderly6]

I don't actually have a facebook account, but if I did I would have refused.

[veuvegirl]

Seems as if that is illegal to me. That leads to personal information employers are not allowed to ask when interviewing. (i.e. are you married? pregnant? disabilities?). Strange the company would ask anyway as Facebook sells an application allowing any corporation to see your Facebook page who chooses to.

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by veuvegirl

Seems as if that is illegal to me. That leads to personal information employers are not allowed to ask when interviewing. (i.e. are you married? pregnant? disabilities?). Strange the company would ask anyway as Facebook sells an application allowing any corporation to see your Facebook page who chooses to.

How is this illegal? They are asking you to voluntarily give a password. If they read information you publicly post online, there is nothing illegal about that.

If a person does not keep their facebook/twitter/linkedin/myspace profiles in a 'presentation-ready' condition, they are nothing short of stupid. You have to assume anything you post online with your real name will be seen and read by your boss/mother/husband/wife/anyone at all. This all comes back to the idea of managing your online identity.

[Tober138]

Originally Posted by veuvegirl

Seems as if that is illegal to me. That leads to personal information employers are not allowed to ask when interviewing. (i.e. are you married? pregnant? disabilities?).

I would be surprised if it is illegal. Although I would not be surprised if some legislation gets introduced in the near future which would propose to prohibit companies from asking for passwords to personal accounts.

Originally Posted by veuvegirl

Strange the company would ask anyway as Facebook sells an application allowing any corporation to see your Facebook page who chooses to.

I have a fair number of friends who circumvent this quite easily - they do not use their real names for their FB accounts or for any online profiles other than their LinkedIn account.

Originally Posted by hnsq

If a person does not keep their facebook/twitter/linkedin/myspace profiles in a 'presentation-ready' condition, they are nothing short of stupid. You have to assume anything you post online with your real name will be seen and read by your boss/mother/husband/wife/anyone at all. This all comes back to the idea of managing your online identity.

Yep. Although I think only a dozen people have MySpace accounts anymore - get with the times hnsq

[veuvegirl]

The reason I think it is illegal because on your Facebook account there is information that a potential employer cannot ask you. Are you married? How old are you? etc. This is information they can get off of Facebook. To ask for the password is asking for those answers IMO

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by Tober138

I would be surprised if it is illegal. Although I would not be surprised if some legislation gets introduced in the near future which would propose to prohibit companies from asking for passwords to personal accounts.



I have a fair number of friends who circumvent this quite easily - they do not use their real names for their FB accounts.

You can delete content on facebook. You have to assume recruiters are going to search for you online. Just delete any posts that paint you in a bad light and untag yourself from any pictures you wouldn't want your grandmother to see.

[Broncos Quarterback]

Absolutely outrageous. Stuff like this should be made illegal. Just one more reason to save and invest your money wisely so you don't get in a desperate situation to feel forced to say yes to an invasion of privacy "request"/demand such as this one.

[beth98]

Originally Posted by hnsq

How is this illegal? They are asking you to voluntarily give a password. If they read information you publicly post online, there is nothing illegal about that.

If a person does not keep their facebook/twitter/linkedin/myspace profiles in a 'presentation-ready' condition, they are nothing short of stupid. You have to assume anything you post online with your real name will be seen and read by your boss/mother/husband/wife/anyone at all. This all comes back to the idea of managing your online identity.

I agree it probably isn't illegal. I wouldn't provide a potential employer with my password, but I don't think it's illegal for them to ask. I'm more offended by the idea of it than anything they would find.

There is a difference between managing your online presence and allowing someone full access. That full access is exactly what I am managing. Publicly, if you are not friends with me you can see my name, email, school, and a fairly mundane lists of likes and activities. Employers are more than welcome to take a look at this. If you are friends with me on facebook you have access to what I write on my wall and my pictures unless I have placed restrictions, as is the case with some acquaintances who do not see pictures I post. Beyond that, I'm a member of several private facebook groups ranging from a hiking club, to a family group to share news with extended family to a group with just my sister for a private conversation. And then there are messages - also private. Just because it's online doesn't mean anyone can see it. My email is online but I'm certainly not going to give someone the password to that.

[Kibbiekat]

Originally Posted by hnsq

I wouldn't give my password, but I would log in during the interview and let them look at my account

that's what I was thinking, but it would still make me uncomfortable. Not even my husband has my FB password.