Employers Asking for Facebook Passwords at Interview
I just read this article that some employers are now asking applicants for their Facebook and Twitter passwords in order to see their profile when they have it set to private. It looks like it is mostly public sector jobs so far, particularly law enforcement and positions with security clearances. I am not surprised, but this really irks me. Apparently there is no privacy anymore. This is no different than if an employer asked to search my home. Thoughts? Has anyone personally experienced this yet? If you were hiring someone, would you ever ask to see this info?
this should be taken to the supreme court
I don't have a facebook but there is no way I would ever give passwords to anything to a potential employer. Period.
WHAT THE F? Facebook Acc maybe ok... BUT PASSWORDS? ............................................ What has the world become
HELL NO
Am I a bad American now?
No. Not letting people snoop around your private stuff is pretty American.
I'm currently interviewing. If I have a potential employer ask for my password I will decline.
I have nothing to hide.
You might not care if they see the stuff on your FB profile, but you will care when your FB password is floating around via plain text emails that are easily intercepted. If you're like the average dipshit American, all of your passwords are the same (or close enough) that, once someone has your FB password, they've got a ton of personally identifiable info about you.
Maybe I use all of that info to figure out your SSN, order your credit report, see where you bank at, start trying permutations of your FB password, log on and clear out your account. Or, I open a bunch of credit cards in your name and go on an amazon.com spending spree.
But sure, go ahead and give your password to every employer that asks for it.
I don't think I have anything on there to hide, but if I'm interviewing and someone asks me for my Facebook password, I'll politely tell them to go F themselves and I'll see my way out.
That being said, I'm in a position now where I can actually say I wouldn't need a job like that. If I was unemployed or an undergrad desperate to find a good gig I'd be more likely to cave.
Totally off topic, but for some reason this line made me think of the great Jean-Ralphio:
Just delete it... Simple as that.
I would never give this to someone interviewing me, it's ridiculous!
I have a feeling that this is still a VERY rare practice, but is being hyped in the media because of the attention that it will garner. After all, HuffPo tends to jazz things up a bit.
For us Ron Paul supporters, we can't have it both ways. Either an employer does not get to decide who he pays money to, or he has the prerogative to set the terms of initial and continued employment.
I don't agree with it; I'll boycott a business that practices this; but I don't believe in an outright ban.
Classical Liberalism ...yes, with a proper 'L'... gave birth to both schools of though. So, from that point of view, the concept of things like a 'liberal media' [haHAAA!, a free press/media is by definition....liberal] is an oxymoron. This makes conservative media a bunch of regular morons within that oxymoron. It all stems from the root latin word 'liber' or, "to be free", or something, I'm not a professor.
Don't worry, tommorrow I'll be picking on the liberals. I'm an equal opportunity hater. This was just too easy and I had a few minutes before a meeting.
Login: Dwight Schrute Password: Fuck Off
If they keep on pressing the issue tell them that you simply can't provide such personal information and then reveal yourself as the one and only Blastoise on WSO. Following that, lead them to this page.
they recently did this to applicants at my high school for new teaching positions they didnt ask for your password but they asked you to log on and then they took a brief look through everything. Once I am close to finishing undergrad 4 years from now I will be deleting my facebook and creating a new one strictly for business purposes and stick with linkedin and twitter which I use only for business purposes.
I don't think I'll hand my login over. Maybe for the right job I'll log the interviewer in on a one-time basis and let them look for 2-3 minutes- I don't have much to hide. (Largely photos of me wearing orange $5 Illinois t-shirts, going hang gliding, and driving around in a rusty honda.)
This seems way overboard. If the employer did want to see your Facebook profile, they could just ask you to accept a friend request.
I scrubbed my profile almost a year ago. I just use it in the same way a person used a phonebook back in the day. If someone wants to look me up, and reach me, they send me a PM - that's it. No wall, photo library, etc. If you think that this is a single event you are wrong. Very wrong. Fb sells access to their database. A few weeks ago, I came across an article that profiled a new company that built a proprietary algorithm to sort through this data and evaluate job applicants. Who gives a shit about your password - when they can pay the bouncer and go in the back door.
We are all going to be prisoners to our online personas. Personally, I try everything possible to slow the process down - but it is an inevitable change. Privacy is long dead. Just wait until the government starts following suit...oh wait they already have. RP2012.
Don't have facebook in your real name and if asked simply say you don't have facebook.
This. Just deny having one and maybe make your profile pic to where it's almost impossible to know that it's you. I wouldn't have to change my name though, it's pretty common.
I'd log an employer in under private browsing mode, but I'd never give my password out.
Also, I wouldn't friend an employee that I wasn't already friends with already.
I'm with RagnarDannaeskjold on this one. My FB is nothing more than a profil picture, no wall postings, no albums, no interests listed, no visible friends and no updates. Sending a PM is the only way to contact me.
FB was cool 5 or 6 years ago when I first logged in. Now it's just shit and I don't care if a slam piece from high school went scuba diving in Australia and I don't care how cute your kid is. The best way to be updated on what my friends are doing is by them telling it themselves over a beer or a game.
I hope you never have to relocate.
I personally don't have anything on my facebook that would make an employee suspicious but there is no way I would even consider this. I would not want to work for any firm that asked for it.
I would slap the shit out of the person who asks me for my password for screening purposes. Straight up bitch slap that mofo.
Technically, you can never delete your facebook. They will forever have the data. Just go to the account page where you deactivate, there's a link that says See all your FB data or something of that nature. They use this data and sell it to marketing firms, large corps, etc.
I don't think people realize that EVERYTHING you do on FB is recorded. Once you upload something to facebook, doesn't matter how private your profile is, it's now their property. With that said, it is perfectly legal for an employer to ask for your FB profile b/c you have every right to decline. The only way I could see them stopping this is by suing for discrimination but I don't even think that will work. The employer has two choices:
1) they can go to facebook, pay a fee, and see all your information that way. Since you are legally not the owner of this information, as long as FB allows the employer to view this info via payment, it's all theirs.
2) The employer can just ask for it. If you don't give it to them, they'll probably assume you're hiding something. But if you give it to them, they have every right to look at it that way as well, per the terms and conditions.
Basically, get rid of FB as fast as possible so if this ever comes up, just say I no longer have one b/c I deleted it a long time ago and no longer remember the login credentials associated with the account. There is no privacy online b/c everything you do is considered public
Facebook blows anyways
This. I deleted mine two years ago and don't miss it at all. I know they still have all my photos and previous connections stored, but if anyone asks about my fb profile, I just say I don't have one anymore, and it definitely doesn't pop up on any searches - I've tried from friends accounts.
It started becoming a huge pain in the ass for me before any of this craziness with employers started happening. I foolishly allowed the mixture of work friends and real life friends, which never manifested in a firing or anything like that, but you'd definitely see the occasional ridiculous comment or photo of me shit faced from 10 years back pop up on my wall, and I quickly realized that my fb situation had gotten out of my control. I deleted all of my photos, all of the personal info I could, then spent two hours figuring out how to "delete" my account. Haven't been back since.
I expect the trend away from FB will continue, at least for a small minority of the 900+ million users that care about their public persona.
I actually think it's fair enough if it's for those going into law enforcement. Better not to take risks when handing over guns and authority to people that may just be psychos and bullies. Logging into their facebook, without giving them a chance to change anything first, would be a good way to truly see if they are good for a job as a police officer, and not just some guy who wants revenge for being bullied growing up.
Agreed. I think if you're going for a position of authority or need security clearance this can be argued as fair.
Do you think a bullied child's FB profile is going to be his manifesto or something? I think it's reasonable for any employer to try and find out everything that might be public about someone, but your reasoning as to why LE agencies should do it is flat out silly. I believe most big LE agencies require psych tests before you are allowed to join, which would better show you who might have a problem then someone's FB profile.
Besides, most states you can go and buy a gun and kill someone at will anyways...why go through the process of becoming a cop just to extract revenge on someone?
Regards
I live in Europe where guns are not accessible to normal people. I know a lot of people in LE and I've seen their psych tests. Do you know how easy it is to pass those things? It's all about pretending to be the sanest of saints for a day. Just putting yourself in someone else's shoes. FB would at least show what a person is like without the faking or exaggeration.
I mean, I go to interviews and "pretend" to be someone I am not. Extremely confident, talkative, funny etc. Sure I am those things with friends etc, but most certainly not all the time, and I am sure that under the stress of IB I will not be that way.
Positions of authority over the public should require the toughest screening in my opinion. But then again, the US is different I guess since the most important job (president) was filled by George Bush who was a phenomenal retard and most likely insane. Though I think you need to be somewhat smart in order to be insane.
Well...
I agree that giving out my password is just retarded.
However...
If I'm allowed to change my Facebook password temporarily and then let them browse my profile while I'm there for however long they would like to do it, then change my password back once they are finish "background checking" me, then I would be okay with it.
Again, I have nothing to hide. And some people do some really ridiculously stupid things that might jeopardize a firm. And even work-related stuff too with non-disclosure agreements. I don't see in a problem with it if I'm in their shoes and I have a job with a huge line of people wanting that spot.
Supply vs. Demand. If there's a lot more demand than supply, then I can raise my level of screening.
Just my .02
The thing that pisses me off the most about this isn't necessarily the whole "invading your privacy" issue, it's how they judge you over the dumbest shit. If you have pictures of yourself doing heroin or something, then yea that should probably be used against the candidate. But I can imagine employers dinging a guy over trivial shit likes photos/jokes taken completely out of context. The fact that you once got drunk at a highlighter party in college and got photos taken of you with penises drawn all over your shirt shouldn't be probable cause to ding you. If anything I'd actually prefer this guy to the nerd who's only FB photos are of him going to Disney World with his family and smiling cheesily in each photo.
...but I like Disneyworld D: (cries)
I too have a clean FB profile. However, my FB password is the same password I use for everything. There's no way I'd tell an interviewer that.
I deleted my facebook in september. By facebook TOS they DO NOT have any of the data I posted before. However that doesn't worry nearly as much as the pictures my friends post of me (far more dangerous), hence I can't get tagged.
That being said, I would not give my password to anyone as that would not be violating my privacy but the privacy of some of my friends.
Pretty good reaction I saw somewhere written below.
I don't use Facebook.
Giving you that information violates Facebooks's terms of service. If you expect me to violate an agreement that I'm a party to, do you also expect me to violate agreements with your company, such a nondisclosure agreements, just because someone asks me to?
Accessing my Facebook account is tantamount to asking for information such as age, marital status, sexual orientation, etc that are attached to my profile, and which you are not permitted to ask me about in an interview. Therefore, I must conclude that current law makes it illegal for you to request my login information
You know what, Mr. Candidate? You're absolutely right. We'll be in touch. Thanks for coming in.
Just create another FB profile, for employers
I would gladly oblige just as long as the interviewer provided me with their ATM PIN, Social Security, and his wife's favorite sexual position. think that is a fair trade in regards to violations of privacy.
I had an interview for an internship at AXA where the guy asked me if I go to church. I told him I preferred not to answer that question and he began explaining to me how Korean churches are a gold mine for reeling in cash heavy business owners into their Financial Planning Services. I felt the appropriate answer was that I worship the demon-god BAAL and I could bring in at least 5 goats a week.
double post
I wouldn't give my password, but if pressed I would probably log them in just once.
I agree with Happy. How is this not a discrimination lawsuit waiting to happen? Huge pointless liability for a company to take on.
The burden of proof.
If I was asked for my Facebook password, I would decline.
Guys seriously, I know the job market sucks, but do you REALLY want to work for a firm that would do this? Besides, if I was hiring someone, I'd probably more concerned if my employees did NOT drink underage. You don't want to work with a bunch of tools.
I heard on npr today that there is a lawsuit in action in Maryland against an employer that asked for a facebook password in an interview. It is looking like it will be successful as well.
"Facebook? What the fuck is facebook? Never heard of that shit."
I agree with this being illegal, if only because questions that are illegal for them to ask (marital status, disabilities, etc.) can easily be found in someone's Facebook.
However, I wouldn't personally be bothered. Like RatinaMaze said, I have nothing to hide.
I don't think it's unethical for employers to ask for facebook or personal passwords from their employees. Don't they know there's a thing called privacy
Facebook says it may sue employers who demand job applicants' passwords
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/03/facebook-says-it-may-sue-e…
[quote=RagnarDanneskjold]Facebook says it may sue employers who demand job applicants' passwords
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/03/facebook-says-it-may-sue-e…] That's right!! Peddling your personal info is their domain. I'm being sarcastic, but I'm sure that once they've found a way to monetize this, it will become part of standard background screening.
Hey, did anyone ever think they'd have to give a SSN to an employer back in the 40's? It's inevitable, so keep that account spotless. Or delete it.
on one hand, I say: good for them
on the other, I say: "only we can can turn users' private information into something advantageous for us!" ha
they have no right to force you do that during the interview or to base their opinion on that. You can sue them for just asking that question
You can sue someone that has violated a law and harmed you in the process. As far as I know, it's not yet illegal to ask someone for their facebook password. It might be morally reprehensible, and you might question whether or not you want to work at a place that asks you for your fb password, but I'm pretty sure a law suit would be immediately dismissed.
I don't know why would an employer ask for Facebook password. I never heard of of an employer asking for passwords. They will surely would like to see your profile for confirming your identity and how you socialise.
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