Colleges and Employers Now Requiring Applicants' Facebook Passwords

[ajemas]

I must say that this level of personal intrusion is disturbing. It seems to me that many people are not aware of the highly personal nature of some people's profiles and personal messages. Furthermore, why should one's personal life have any effect on their validity as an applicant, so long as their personal activities do not harm themselves or anybody else?

 

[Sonicron]

Oh. Oh dear. This... this is illegal, methinks. Forcing someone to break contract with one company to be able to enter into one with another? Sounds actionable... winnable, even.

Setting aside the fact that I don't even have a Facebook account, news like this remind me how good I have it in my country, where my personal data is and remains private by law.

 

[Samurai Silhouette]

anc[is]Solution: don't use Facebook. Nobody gives a shit about what you just ate or the song lyrics you just posted anyway.

Yeah, because this is the only viable application for facebook. Not everyone that uses facebook is that superficial or connect with such type of people exclusively. :\

 

[smithy_2045]

I'm not working for any company that wants that shit.

 

[Xan Krieger]

If they ever asked me for my password I'd laugh and ask them if they'd like to wiretap my phones while they're at it. Maybe install cameras all over my house. Never happening I would never work for a place or go to school at a place that cares so little for the privacy of it's employees.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Mock account, lie, tell them fuck off or don't put anything stupid on Facebook. Seriously, who would give their real account info since so many people shockingly use the same password for everything. I only use the same pass for my bullshit accounts I don't care about and have only used once. Just do what people normally do and make a company account and then friend them on it people on Facebook love that and it is legal.

 

[Abedeus]

anc[is]Solution: don't use Facebook. Nobody gives a shit about what you just ate or the song lyrics you just posted anyway.

I use Facebook to keep in touch with friends from elementary school and current classmates in high school, senior year. Because it's much easier to share informations that are relevant to our daily lives (like what classes we will not be having tomorrow, or where can we find study material for the exam) using Facebook that e-mailing each others about shit.

 

[Sandytimeman]

Personally if they want my facebook they could theoretically have it. I only use it for easy sign into several places like the escapist. If I was forced to share my info, even after I got a lawyer involved, I would just Un-associate my accounts I didn't like them to have access to.

If these fuckers want my facebook info they can suck my balls!

 

[srpilha]

Not sure The Fifth would apply here, since it's not a trial situation, but good call.

Ridiculousness all over anyway. Sheesh.

 

[Epona]

It seems to me that a requirement to friend someone or the company would require a Facebook account and in turn, the password to that account.

 

[MasterOfHisOwnDomain]

Sharing your password with anyone is against the Terms and Conditions that everyone agrees to when they create a Facebook account.

8. 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.

So not only are these companies breaking privacy legislation, but they are also breaking the incitement to breach of contract legislation.

I would tell them where to stick their job, in no uncertain terms.

 

[vxicepickxv]

How about the fifth amendment right to not be FORCED to give someone something if it has convicting evidence?

Just to clarify, a job interview is generally not going to have someone arrested and put on trial.

 

[Frankster]

Even less reason for me to use facebook, or actually nay, finally something to do with my facebook: handing it over to my employers and uni.

This way rather then it being my friends who hijack my facebook and post silly wallposts, it will be my boss and dean instead.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I'm happy about this, because a great deal of people will refuse to surrender that information (Or they give it up, then what their bosses find doesn't please them). More jobs for me! Woo!

 

[Space Spoons]

I can understand why this is being done. There are a staggering number of people on Facebook who are willing to name their job title and the company they work for in very specific terms... While simultaneously posting about how wasted they got last night. It reflects very poorly on the company.

But I imagine people will sidestep this the same way they sidestep having family members added on Facebook; separate accounts. I personally know many people who maintain separate FB accounts, one for their social life and one for their family life.

If that doesn't turn out to be the case, maybe this will end up being the straw that broke the camel's back, prompting a mass exodus of Facebook for Google Plus or some other social network. It happened with MySpace, after all, and Friendster before that. No social network empire lasts forever.

 

[VladG]

If an employer would ask for anything like that I would calmly pull out my phone and unlock it, hand it over to him, tell him to check through my emails, pull out my wallet, throw it on his desk, and while he's looking down at my wallet, pull my pants down and spread my butt cheeks right in front of him and tell him he's free to check up my ass-hole while he's at it. Then I'd pick everything back up, sit down, and very normally ask him if I've got the job.