Employer Demands Facebook Login From Job Applicants 434
Hugh Pickens writes writes "Alex Madrigal reports in the Atlantic that the ACLU has taken up the case of Maryland corrections officer Robert Collins, who was required to provide his Facebook login and password to the Maryland Division of Corrections during a recertification interview so the interviewer could log on to his account and read not only his postings, but those of his family and friends too. 'We live in a time when national security is the highest priority, but it must be delicately balanced with personal privacy,' says Collins. 'My fellow officers and I should not have to allow the government to view our personal Facebook posts and those of our friends, just to keep our jobs.' The ACLU of Maryland has sent a letter to Public Safety Secretary Gary Maynard (PDF) concerning the Division of Correction's blanket requirement that applicants for employment with the division, as well as current employees undergoing recertification, provide the government with their social media account usernames and personal passwords for use in employee background checks. After three weeks the ACLU has received no response."
This is why I don't use facebook (Score:5, Funny)
and it's not just because I don't have any friends
So, have two accounts? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Why the password? (Score:5, Funny)
I refuse to support what I consider a complete waste of time and computing resources.
So can I have your /. account? I'd like to drop 200,000 or so from my UID. Impress the ladies, you know?
Innocent have no problem (Score:3, Funny)
If you have nothing to hide this surely shouldn't be a problem.
Re:Why the password? (Score:3, Funny)
I refuse to support what I consider a complete waste of time and computing resources.
So can I have your /. account? I'd like to drop 200,000 or so from my UID. Impress the ladies, you know?
Six digits is impressive? Kids this days...
Re:Why the password? (Score:4, Funny)
my.lawn->get_off(you);
Re:Why the password? (Score:5, Funny)
You know what happened last time /. got into a user ID waving competition? http://slashdot.org/~palpatine [slashdot.org] (#94) turned up and made us all look silly.
Re:I have to applaud the ACLU... (Score:5, Funny)
To be fair, Fox does sprinkle in known lies pretty liberally.
Re:This is why I don't use facebook (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why the password? (Score:4, Funny)
Make your password "imnotgivingyoumypassword", problem solved.