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Crazy: City Requests Facebook, Google Passwords of Job Applicants
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Michael Barkoviak/Daily Tech
June 19, 2009
Bozeman request: Big brother snooping, or legitimate request?
The city of Bozeman, with a population of 25,000 people in southwestern Montana, likely isn’t one you heard of recently. However, it’s in the news after a city job requirement has drawn heavy criticism over possible privacy issues.
An anonymous citizen who applied for a city job alerted local media that he or she had to provide log-in information and passwords for any and all social networking web sites they use while applying for a job with the city.
Along with the normal background check, criminal history, education and employment, the following is written into the Bozeman city employment waiver statement:
“Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.”
The application also gives room for three different web sites, account names and passwords, according to the applicant.
There are obvious privacy concerns related to what the city is attempting to do here, regardless of whether or not an applicant has something possibly incriminating posted on a social networking web site.
In Article 2, Section 10 of the Montana Constitution, it says “the right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest.”
“So, we have positions ranging from fire and police, which require people of high integrity for those positions, all the way down to the lifeguards and the folks that work in city hall here,” Bozeman city attorney Greg Sullivan told local media. “So we do those types of investigations to make sure the people that we ”nofollow" href=“http://montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10551414&nav=menu227_3”>hire have the highest moral character and are a good fit for the City."
It’s possible Bozeman may create an official Facebook page where they have the ability to view an applicant’s profile without the ability of looking at that persons friends through the site.
City officials say no applicants elected to refuse to turn over social networking information and end their application process.
It’s interesting to hear that a city seeks to have a peek at an applicant’s MySpace or Facebook profile as part of the application process. There are a growing number of professors and experts who warn college students and young people that they should be extremely careful what they publicly post on the internet, though normally companies don’t have direct access to a person’s account.
© 2009, DailyTech
atech1
5 months ago
6 comments
I guess the mayor and the town council wound not mind if the tax payers stopped by on a Saturday night to see what is in their desk at home! If they refuse maybe we should with hold their pay check.
This is a clear violation of privacy and free speech!
ck_asdf
5 months ago
28 comments
The solution here is simple: create a new account which lists all kinds of cool stuff you do and has conversation between you and another fake profile that is very nifty, so they read it and think "wow, this person is cool and has nothing to hide!"
Of course, that brings into question what would happen should they find out you lied to them, and even if that doesn't happen, what about GraceGrady's statement "if they have one invasive policy, they may well have others." Also, 3much asked "What's next?" and listed several things. By accepting this requirement (giving up passwords for social networking sites), that would open them up to deeper privacy invasions.
GraceGrady
5 months ago
12 comments
We need to draw the line in the sand. As professionals we should not accept invasions into our privacy as a condition of employment. Interviews are two way, the entire process is about figuring out if it is a place you would want to work. If they have one "on the line" or invasive policy, they may well have others.
Bootlegger
5 months ago
166 comments
Asking for site pages such as giving them your facebook address while approaching the line does not cross it, asking for passwords as well jumps far over the line of allowable information requests. They have rescinded this policy since it broke in the news.
Mr_Daimao
5 months ago
20 comments
Well they want passwords too? Shit...that's one place I wouldn't apply at.
GraceGrady
5 months ago
12 comments
I would have gone from the application site to the nearest ACLU office. This is outrageous! People have personal information on there social networking sites, mine is all about my grandchildren, only the family is allowed to view it. I don't want some stranger to view our family business. Outrageous!!
wdr525
5 months ago
44 comments
I know that at least on some sites falling into that category, password/account sharing is a violation of the terms of use and liable to get one's account shut down. Aside from that, it's generally pretty unreasonable to have access to any and all communications that have taken place over the internet from such an account, especially private conversations.
ccorliss
5 months ago
164 comments
Wow, that is beyond wrong. I thought drug testing was invasive enough, this go above and beyond anything I've seen before.
3much
5 months ago
374 comments
There's nothing new here, so it's hardly surprising. What's next I wonder....requests for file attachments showing an applicant's family tree? Or perhaps listings of all family heirlooms? Or wait! Yes! Contents of an applicants will and last testament? Details of all banking/financial activities which includes divulging sensitive account details? Bingo!
The possibilities are endless, the list could go on and on, but we don't want to give employers any ideas now, would we? lol
PureEvil
5 months ago
196 comments
wtf, thats just invasion of privacy, seriously why would they want to know to a simple background is enough and drug testing but this. way to go. interesting read.