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Facebook fights Employers Who Request Passwords to accounts?
OK, now maybe I am missing the obvious here, but "why should Employers NEED to request passwords to Facebook from their employees?"
Employees, should NOT be using their companies property for this sort of activity in the first place! This being the case, the employee has broken their employers code of conduct.It has already been passed by court of law that employers have the right to monitor all content used, input, browsed etc. on business computer systems whilst being paid to do so. so why should an employer feel the need to gain access to passwords? they shouldnt, at the end of the day if staff are using facebook during work time amd using the the companies fascilities to do so, then it is the employee that has broken their agreement with their employer. not vice versa!
maybe i am missing the obvious, but personally i think this is probably a global PR stunt for Facebook to gain even more credibility by its users. something that really wont go anywhere but WILL get everyone to start talking about it.
and hey, here’s the wee scotsman jumping out the water like a fish to take the first bite! :lol1:
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FACEBOOK NEWS
Facebook will fight to stop employers from requesting access to their potential employees’ otherwise private accounts, the company’s chief privacy officer Erin Egan announced in a statement on Friday.
The announcement follows reports that potential employers have pushed for access to applicants accounts — either asking applicants for their usernames and passwords or asking them to log into their accounts during an interview. Meanwhile, some universities require their student athletes to friend a coach or compliance officer who can keep tabs on their Facebook accounts, even if those accounts are not public.
Sharing or soliciting a Facebook password is against the social network’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
“This practice undermines the privacy expectations and the security of both the user and the user’s friends,” Egan wrote on the Facebook Privacy blog. “It also potentially exposes the employer who seeks this access to unanticipated legal liability.”
Among the risks to employers, Egan says, are that they will come across information such as age or sexual orientation that could open them up to claims of discrimination if the applicant doesn’t get the job. Employers may also become responsible for information they uncover while pursuing private profiles, such as that which suggests a crime.
Bradley Shear, a Washington D.C., lawyer, told MSNBC earlier this month that demands for access to private social media content are a violation of the First Amendment.
SEE ALSO: ACLU Responds to Facebook Password Debate [VIDEO]
“I can’t believe some people think it’s OK to do this,” he told the publication. “Maybe it’s OK if you live in a totalitarian regime, but we still have a Constitution to protect us. It’s not a far leap from reading people’s Facebook posts to reading their email. … As a society, where are we going to draw the line?”Facebook’s statement suggests that the network is willing to help draw it — even if that requires legal action.
“We’ll take action to protect the privacy and security of our users, whether by engaging policymakers or, where appropriate, by initiating legal action, including by shutting down applications that abuse their privileges.”
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2 Replies
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Robert if I have read that right then it is not employees using Company time & equipment while working at all.
It is for potential employers to further vet candidates when looking to employ. -
quote Martin:Robert if I have read that right then it is not employees using Company time & equipment while working at all.
It is for potential employers to further vet candidates when looking to employ.hmmm 3 glasses of rose wine down me Martin, i am in no position to read and absorb properly now. :lol1:
However, i don’t see why any employer should need a password even if this was the case. surely they only need to be "added as a Friend"?
if so then they can see past activity…might be the vino in me, but i dont see the point/need in access to a password. surely if taht were the case the employer should ask for email, twitter, facebook etc access…???
as i say mate, i recon its a hook dipped for us all to bite at.
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