Some firms demand passwords from potential employees
A BRACE of US senators have asked for an investigation into whether businesses are asking potential employees to hand over their Facebook login information.
Senator Charles Schumer, the Senate's third-ranking Democrat, and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut are concerned that the practice could violate federal law and they have asked the Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to have a look and see what they think.
The news that businesses are asking job applicants for their Facebook login passwords is a shocker.
The letter is reproduced in a joint press release on Senator Blumenthal's web site.
"I am alarmed and outraged by rapidly and widely spreading employer practices seeking access to Facebook passwords or confidential information on other social networks," said Blumenthal in a statement.
"A ban on these practices is necessary to stop unreasonable and unacceptable invasions of privacy. An investigation will help remedy ongoing intrusions and coercive practices, while we draft new statutory protections to clarify and strengthen the law. With few exceptions, employers do not have the need or the right to demand access to applicants' private, password-protected information."
Cases of firms asking for passwords have been reported in both the US and the UK. We would recommend that no one hand over such information to anyone, ever.
