Job Applicants Asked for Facebook Passwords
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
What the hell.
This is really taking things too far.
Just think of what they can post on your Facebook account whenever the hell they want to. And also the fact that you can not delete a Facebook account makes things a whole lot worse.
This is really taking things too far.
Just think of what they can post on your Facebook account whenever the hell they want to. And also the fact that you can not delete a Facebook account makes things a whole lot worse.
I do find it interesting that many of the people on the internet most concerned with transparency only want it for other people, not for themselves. Such as wanting more government transparency, and then complaining about being caught on security cameras in public. Personally, I think going out in public and then demanding people not look at you is ridiculous. If you want to do that, wear a burqa.
It is not part of the background check. It's the equivalent of a company demanding access to your mail before they'll hire you. Or, more accurately, to one's email, which can be and often is legally considered confidential and private, which is why a court order is often needed if the authorities want to get into someone's Yahoo! account.
Considering that you're arguing that the companies have a self-evident right to go into one's Facebook account and look at one's private messages, that's more than a little hypocritical of you.Kopikatsu said:
It is not part of the background check. It's the equivalent of a company demanding access to your mail before they'll hire you. Or, more accurately, to one's email, which can be and often is legally considered confidential and private, which is why a court order is often needed if the authorities want to get into someone's Yahoo! account.
Yeah, no thanks. I don't use the thing much, but I don't need anyone else editing it, or altering it in any way.
It stops employers from discriminating against people for stupid reasons. Say they had two potential employees of an equal skill level, and they both provided access to their social media accounts. The employer, looking at their facebook accounts, sees that Person A prefers Xbox 360 while Person B prefers PS3. The employer, preferring PS3, decides to hire Person B because of that fact.Kopikatsu said:
Even if that wasn't the reason behind the hiring decision, this would open up a whole bunch of lawsuits claiming that some arbitrary discriminating factor was the reason a person didn't get hired. It's why you don't put your age, martial status, religious affiliations etc... on your resume.
Would you like it if your house was bugged so your employer could see and hear everything you did? It's basically what is getting asked here.
Dear Kopikatsu,
Since you believe so much in complete transparency of private life, please post the following so we may confirm you're doing nothing illegal:
Name
Date of Birth
Mother's Maiden Name
Home Address
Home/Work/Cellphone Number
Social Security Number
Bank Account Number
Online Banking Password
Bank PIN
Credit Card number, with the three digit code in the back
All e-mail Addresses and corresponding passwords
Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and any other social networking website username and passwords
Sincerely,
A Very Concerned Citizen
Since you believe so much in complete transparency of private life, please post the following so we may confirm you're doing nothing illegal:
Name
Date of Birth
Mother's Maiden Name
Home Address
Home/Work/Cellphone Number
Social Security Number
Bank Account Number
Online Banking Password
Bank PIN
Credit Card number, with the three digit code in the back
All e-mail Addresses and corresponding passwords
Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and any other social networking website username and passwords
Sincerely,
A Very Concerned Citizen
Everyone has a FEW things they like to hide regardless of whether it's criminal or simply embarrassing. There's a distinct difference between "pedos" and "pervs". Both are horrific labels to have (though one is obviously worse than the other) but EVERYONE is a perv on SOME level. It's a pretty obvious fact that everyone enjoys porn regardless of whether they admit to it or not. Even if they aren't addicted to porn and have terabytes worth of it stored on several external drives kept locked in strongbox in a closet under some sheets.... know what? Forget I said anything.
Well, News of the World deputy editor Paul McMullen is a fucking tool.
If I have an employer trying to decide between myself and another potential employee, I don't want his deciding factor to be what kind of music I listen to, or if my relationship status says "It's complicated" or "Swinger".
None of their damn business, I want my privacy.
And if you changed your password within a week, would you have to keep them apprised?
If the Police are worried they might be hiring a gangster, pervert or terrorists, do they REALLY think they are going to catch them out by what they post in a private communication on facebook? No. All this will ever find is an unguarded private comment or action, like getting drunk and lairy at friend's birthday shindig, or a personal PRIVATE comment being treated as a public admission and condemnation!
What this police force is doing is NOT about security or standards, you won't catch any pedos or terrorist this way. for one they will NEVER give you the username/password for any site they do use for illegal activity! But the HUGELY OVERWHELMING majority will have to give up their facebook account.
This is for nothing but for official blackmail, once they have pried into your life and hold as fact private and embarrassing but totally legal and acceptable-in-private comments, then they have you by the balls. If you try to blow the whistle on say malpractice in the police force then the chief brings up your file and leaks how a certain supposed whistle-blower has had 20 different sexual partners and still thinks she is fit to raise a child. Calling social services!
If the Police are worried they might be hiring a gangster, pervert or terrorists, do they REALLY think they are going to catch them out by what they post in a private communication on facebook? No. All this will ever find is an unguarded private comment or action, like getting drunk and lairy at friend's birthday shindig, or a personal PRIVATE comment being treated as a public admission and condemnation!
What this police force is doing is NOT about security or standards, you won't catch any pedos or terrorist this way. for one they will NEVER give you the username/password for any site they do use for illegal activity! But the HUGELY OVERWHELMING majority will have to give up their facebook account.
This is for nothing but for official blackmail, once they have pried into your life and hold as fact private and embarrassing but totally legal and acceptable-in-private comments, then they have you by the balls. If you try to blow the whistle on say malpractice in the police force then the chief brings up your file and leaks how a certain supposed whistle-blower has had 20 different sexual partners and still thinks she is fit to raise a child. Calling social services!
Funny thing: I've done the exact same with pirates who argue that games are "just information". One of the few that actually responded said that games were "public information" and I was asking for "private information". I asked them why the person who did not own the information got to determine whether it was public or private. They never answered.Cenzton said:
Tell me about it. If someone insists they have "nothing to hide" in person (wish I could do it to the police dept. reps on TV) I ask them for their credit card numbers and expiry dates. Amazing how quick they develop a keen sense of privacy. (And sadly, often an insistence that "That's different." They do like moving the goalposts. They have "nothing to hide" where "nothing" includes credit card info, SSN, phone numbers of family members, medical records....)Screamarie said:
The problem is so many people spin it as "You need to give up your privacy to make yourself more secure." This is a pernicious lie spouted by anyone with something to gain off your personal info. Bruce Schneier's been saying for years that privacy vs. security is a false dichotomy [http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/01/security_vs_pri.html].
More at the link above.Bruce Schneier said:
And for the musically inclined:
thats why you dont use real names for websites, always use an alias that you dont use ever in real life!
This. Kopikatsu is a fool. I find it ironic that his arguments are based on hard core assumptions of fair use of power. Is he fucking stoned? When in HUMAN HISTORY has that ever happened?Cenzton said:
Never mind about Human Rights (which would in theory apply even to incarcerated prisoners and in matters of national security), it's just not constitutional:Kopikatsu said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
Even for SUSPECTS OF A CRIME they have "reasonable expectation of privacy" and this was established by the founding fathers in 1789.
All throughout the constitution there is respect for individual privacy and dominion, the 3rd amendment is against quartering and seizure of property by the government, even during war-time.
Also the 9th amendment is hugely important as it "Asserts the existence of unenumerated rights retained by the people" that would include human rights, from the right to self defence and for the right to privacy. I think this is a far more robust defence than Human Rights as even the Mansen family are humans but their crimes and their risk is far to great to offer them privacy in their jail cell.
But it's just WRONG that an employer has is abusing their position to demand access so deeply into your private life without court order or probable cause.
It's not like this position is as The President's personal body guard, this is a clerical job in a police station, this demand of access to private life by a state-entity is totally beyond the framing of The Constitution. Applying for a clerical job in a police station does NOT warrant the same scrutiny and investigation as one being investigated for and charged with a felonious crime.
Actually you can delete a facebook account, they just don't advertise it.Get_A_Grip_ said:
https://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account
I pretty much recommend almost everyone deleting facebook accounts when they get their "adult jobs".
Why you might ask? Because employers will weasel their way onto your facebook/whatever social site you use one way or another. Whether it be a manager or just some random shmuck in the office, or even spying on the work computers when you log into facebook at work; they are fairly desperate to check your facebook when it is locked off as private.
I have to agree. My password is my business. If what is available publicly is not enough for you then I am very much not right for your company. I do like to keep a lot of stuff to myself and people I know. I have my basic information public. If that isn't enough then oh well. Get to know me in person and you'll know me online.ZeZZZZevy said: