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Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business

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Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business

#101
post #61

The argument can be made (at least in our industry) that someone who uses Facebook isn't someone you'd want to hire, anyway.

I'd say quite the opposite. It's normal and expected to be a member of multiple social networks. I'd wonder what kind of IT person doesn't have an account with facebook, twitter, a personal domain, etc. Nice ludditism, though.

I'd wonder what kind of IT person doesn't have an account with facebook

I don't understand neither sneak's position nor yours, really. What exactly is odd about not wanting to feed the privacy black hole that is Facebook? I have nothing against those who do, but frankly I'll avoid it if I can.

Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business

#102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say quite the opposite. It's normal and expected to be a member of multiple social networks. I'd wonder what kind of IT person doesn't have an account with facebook, twitter, a personal domain, etc. Nice ludditism, though.

I'd wonder what kind of IT person doesn't have an account with facebook I don't understand neither sneak's position nor yours, really. What exactly is odd about not wanting to feed the privacy black hole that is Facebook? I have nothing against those who do, but frankly I'll avoid it if I can.

Most people don't describe Facebook with such terms as a " privacy black hole "

Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business

#103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd wonder what kind of IT person doesn't have an account with facebook I don't understand neither sneak's position nor yours, really. What exactly is odd about not wanting to feed the privacy black hole that is Facebook? I have nothing against those who do, but frankly I'll avoid it if I can.

Most people don't describe Facebook with such terms as a " privacy black hole "

Most people (even most IT workers) don't use HN either, but I don't wonder "what kind of people" are we for using it.

Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business

#104
post #20

If I ever had someone demand this, I would update my account to show my sexual orientation as homosexual, my religion to Islam, and my political views to whatever the opposite of my boss's were. Then if they ever tried to lay me off, or not give me a raise, I would point out that the only useful information they possibly could have gotten from demanding my Facebook account were these protected statuses.

Ahah!

I think you've just hit on the legal remedy for this bullshit.

It is illegal for an interviewer to ask about your religion, your race, your age, your political views, your sexual orientation, etc. All of those things are part of the typical facebook profile so asking to even look at someone else's facebook profile for purposes of an interview is a clear violation of the law.

Here's a list of things that an interviewer is barred from asking: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewsnetworking/a/illegal...

Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business

#105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could say you had no account , but if they later found that out to be a lie it could be used to dismiss you as you lied during your application.

What if you created an account after being hired, or had plausible deniability to that effect? Would you be obligated to inform your employer whenever you manage other social media accounts? The implications of this are terrifying. I'm glad that organizations like the ACLU are on this, because if corporations can set a precedent for this sort of privacy invasion, we're screwed to the nth degree.

It depends what their purpose is in doing this.

If it is simply a screen to avoid applicants who would be massively unsuitable , membership of extreme political parties or heavily into drugs etc then perhaps not.

Otherwise you might need a form from HR for each social network you join.

The way I imagine this will play out in practice is that you will get companies who are "social reference agencies" or similar.

They will have special privileges with facebook etc and will be hired by other companies to screen applicant based on a number of factors and will produce a report for the client company that probably wouldn't contain any specific data etc but simply screen for any "red flags".

Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business

#106
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it be considered "hacking" if you where "willingly" providing your password to them?

Accessing a computer system without authorization is a crime. Facebook is the only entity that can dictate the terms of lawful access to Facebook systems. If Facebook's terms dictate that you cannot access their systems using another person's credentials, then doing so is unauthorized and unlawful. I don't know how well that would hold up to the various appeals processes, IANAL, but there seems to be some case law su…

gotcha, I didn't think about that.
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