Facebook: Legal Action Against Employers Asking For Your Password 504
An anonymous reader writes "Facebook today weighed in on the issue of employers asking current and prospective employees for their Facebook passwords. The company noted that doing so undermines the privacy expectations and the security of both the user and the user's friends, as well as potentially exposes the employer to legal liability. The company is looking to draft new laws as well as take legal action against employers who do this."
A least one U.S. Senator agrees with them.
i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Funny)
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Interesting)
Employer:
Employee: Wait... I can sue you?
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
Although it should be against the law for businesses to pry into our personal lives, including our financial history, Facebook is the wrong company to lead the charge.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
to prove their point, but if facebook gets enough complaints they can wave there deep pocketed arms and say, "wanna fight us, cuz we can fight for a loooong time"
So no, they aren't the bastions of privacy, but they are on the right side here. So good for them.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
And what if a potential employer demands access to your email accounts? That's apparently been happening as well. The real solution here is a legislative one, banning the practice.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
If the request then turns into a demand, give the interviewer the ever-elegant "Raised Eyebrow of Self Respect" and end the interview right then and there. There will be something better if you keep looking (likely something you'd have missed if you took this job) and you shouldn't waste your precious time on this type of blatant asshattery.
Some other sucker can work under that company's bullshit scrutiny (if the company's opening gambit is spying on your personal life, do you really think it stops there?) while you keep looking for a **Real Job**. We all need to pound it into our brains that we have the right and the responsibility to choose who we work for, even in a shitty economy. Sure, you have bills to pay, so it's very hard to turn down a job, but be realistic. You'll either be right back at the job hunt in two months or you'll wanna be hanging from the rafters.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
If I were applying to any company, it would be as technical staff (IT.)
Handing over a password to *anything* would be proof of a lack of competence for the job, and I'd tell them that.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
But this is entirely the point of why Facebook is fighting this. If anybody believes it is about their terms of service or about standing up for their users out of benevolence they are ignorant.
Facebook *has* to try to stop this. If this practice becomes too invasive then it could possibly affect Facebook usage. This is bad for Facebook's business.
Facebook has to convince its users that they can freely share information and maintain some sense of control over who gets their data. They can't allow the precedence to be set of employers asking for account information and expecting to get it.
Now, when it comes to those who say they would just say no, I would say that it is a great situation to be in. You must keep in mind however that this practice isn't specific to the IT industry - it seems to be happening in industries where competition is steeper. There are some industries where opportunities for interviews are few, let alone jobs. When faced with the choice between potentially not getting a job or giving up a little bit of privacy, some people see little choice other than to make that sacrifice. If the practice becomes too commonplace and prevalent, then it could mean that this becomes the norm rather than the exception, and you too could one day face that choice.
I'm glad I'm not in the job market.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Funny)
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
They aren't protecting your privacy, they are protecting their own data integrity.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
There's no conflict there. Facebook just doesn't want people:
* to stop using them, since even a passive usage is a product they can monetize in ads and data-mining
* to create duplicate "clean" versions of themselves that they give away, as it will pollute the data-mining efforts
Pretending to care about people's privacy is just a happy side effect.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Funny)
Your comment reminds me of when my company did layoffs: Employer: ... and an extra two weeks of severance if you agree not to sue us.
Employee: Wait... I can sue you?
That's when you say, "no, I won't sign that."
And see how much more they offer you. Sales 101, my man.
Re:Here's how I reacted to that....(true story) (Score:5, Interesting)
Oh, did you think a severance was something you are entitled to? I see your line of reasoning a lot of slashdot. The time to negotiate is not when you are being laid off/fired. Consider yourself lucky for getting anything above and beyond a pink slip.
Am I ever glad I don't live in whatever backwater country you're in. In the civilized world, severance is mandated by law in the case of a layoff, either in the form of advance notice ("we'll be shutting down operations next November, line something up now and if you get a job before then, we'll give you a reference"), or pay in lieu of notice ("you're all done. pack your things, go home. your final pay will have 4 weeks' pay in lieu of the notice"). The amount of notice or pay in lieu is dictated by the size of the layoff... a small layoff of 20 or fewer people is only 2 weeks, with it increasing significantly with the number of people being let go. When Dell shut down operations in this city, I walked away with a $25,000 severance package (which would have been more, but I was given 4 weeks' notice), and got to keep my medical benefits for 6 months, and I wasn't anywhere near senior management.
There is a difference between being laid off and being fired.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Funny)
Employer: ... and an extra two weeks of severance if you agree not to sue us.
Employee: Wait... I can sue you?
This should be your sig line.
No new law is needed (Score:5, Interesting)
it would be fun. Help me facebook.
Humor aside, if that is your goal you do not need help from facebook nor a new law. Existing laws will do quite nicely. For example it is illegal to ask a job candidate their age and a prospective employer can get sued for doing so. Logging into a facebook account exposes a prospective employer to much such prohibited information.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:No new law is needed (Score:5, Funny)
humor aside, i got the first post and was so excited I had to type something beside first post quickly, so this came out....... I don't really want to sue my boss......
Translation: My boss reads slashdot and I hope he is not familiar with the concept of Freudian Slip. :-)
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
I won't even give my boss my work password. IT's my account and any access by another person to it would violate my ability to know anything done with that account was done by me. We have a policy against it. No one not even a superior is supposed to have access to our A/D account. Any changes have to be documented. They have the ability to change my password. There would be a record of who did it and questions can be asked then. I view all of my accounts with the same level of security. My companies involvement with me ends at their network.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Informative)
My company's Info Security rules actively prohibit password sharing. My employer obviously wants a clear audit trail for any given action, because they want to know who to blame for fraud, monumental cock-ups, etc.
I didn't realise there were large companies that didn't do this. It seems like common sense.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
I didn't realise there were large companies that didn't do this. It seems like common sense.
Expecting common sense from large companies is certainly one way of ensuring that your life is full of surprises...
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:5, Insightful)
If I asked a potential employee for their personal passwords and they handed them over, they most certainly wouldn't get the job. I want employees with a clue about security - if they are happy to hand over their personal passwords, I can only assume they would also be happy to hand over confidential company data to a third party.
Re:i would love to sue my boss for that (Score:4, Insightful)
it would be fun. Help me facebook.
You make light of this, however, Facebook would seem to have a case (disclaimer: IANAL). If bosses and companies start asking for Facebook logins people may well delete their FB accounts instead. I would. And even if you keep it, suddenly you're double-thinking everything before you post it which removes the charm (or some other more appropriate word) that is Facebook.
Facebook's value is based on the number of members that they have and how much those members use it. The National Labor Relations Board even protects some concerted employee activities on social media including FB. Anything that causes people to avoid using Facebook directly affects FB's valuation and profits, in which case FB has a case for tortious interference in their business process. This, I feel, is a stronger argument than just a violation of the FB ToS.
But now... (Score:4, Insightful)
...employers will just ask potential employees to accept their HR staff's friend request, as the article yesterday stated. But one could easily get around that by making sure the HR staff is in a Facebook list that has no access to a user's wall/timeline and other info. Still, seems like the employer wouldn't like that and they would find some way to get the employee to let HR in. :(
Re:But now... (Score:5, Informative)
And a company has the ability to say, "hey we don't want to hire you." As the article states you could sue for discrimination. But in this economy that has as about as much chance as snowball in hell. IMO the reality is that with social networks whether or not it is "private" you are putting information out that could get in the wrong person's hands.
Since the beginning of the web (I started developing websites around the beginning of 95) I have been ever careful of what I put out... The key is to make it look "real", but not enough to make you look bad.
Re:But now... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:But now... (Score:4, Insightful)
facebook is kinda in the driver's seat here due to its size and popularity, both with users and with companies trying to reach those users.....
so if facebook terminated company accounts when they receive some sort of proof that the company is asking for passwords or forcing friend requests of employees or job seekers -- as well as the accounts of known employees of said company -- the resulting shit storm (from employees-turned-collateral-damage, and from marketing / pr departments / execs, when they can't use facebook) should cause most companies to back off.
Re:But now... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:But now... (Score:4, Informative)
Plenty of fertile ground for lawsuits.
If you can find a lawyer willing to take the case, of course. From my own experiences dealing with discrimination as an employee of a major corporation, I couldn't find any lawyers in my area willing to take the case because it would have been ridiculously expensive to bring to trial, not because my case didn't necessarily have merit (although I admit it would have been a difficult case, as much of the discrimination was in the form of verbal comments and bias in terms of scheduling and double-standards, still, there were numerous witnesses and others that were discriminated against to varying degrees).
Not to say that there aren't frivolous discrimination lawsuits, but the mere size and resources of the defendant has a definite chilling effect on those cases being brought.
Re:But now... (Score:4, Interesting)
Exactly. Employers asking for your age can be annoying, but that is usually illegal. Suing doesn't enhance your resume, but I for one would look elsewhere for emloyment if they seriously asked me for either my Facebook account access or to be friended to look over my profile. I would ask them why, and anything other than a specific 'we are looking for signs of dangerous behavior that could cause problems' would get a vacant stare and a short interview. Even then, put it in writing and I'll tell you if I can agree to 'not do that', unless of course it's unreasonable, which also results in a short inteview.
Yes, these are difficult times, but some employers are not worth it.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:But now... (Score:5, Interesting)
Job interview ... 'on the internet' (Score:5, Insightful)
Overbearing employers are nothing new; this is just HR prying into applicants lives with 'on the internet' appended. Whether it's drug tests, credit checks, IQ exams or 3-day multi-person interviews, some companies will push the boundaries and the people will have to push back, sometimes with politics and laws.
Imagine if an employer said they want to inspect your home and interview your family. If the job involves a top secret clearance maybe that's OK but not for 99% of jobs. And here's my point: nobody would agree to having their home inspected and HR wouldn't even think to ask. It's only because social networking is new that anyone even wonders if might be reasonable.
Since the beginning of the web (I started developing websites around the beginning of 95) I have been ever careful of what I put out... The key is to make it look "real", but not enough to make you look bad.
I've filtered myself too, as I'm sure most of Slashdot has, but we should really focus on fighting for everyones rights. No matter how well we may protect ourselves we all have to live with societies attitudes. As technical folk we have the best chance of setting the norms for life on the internet.
Re:But now... (Score:4, Insightful)
Create another FB account solely for work purposes. And when the HR rep b-tches about that, tell them the HR rep's FB account is obviously a work account and not the HR rep's actual personal FB account.
Re:But now... (Score:5, Insightful)
Or better yet - don't have a Facebook account.
Re:But now... (Score:4, Funny)
But then you're a anti-social and therefore likely to go on a shooting rampage.
Re:But now... (Score:5, Funny)
But then you're a anti-social and therefore likely to go on a shooting rampage.
Damn, you've got my number. eerie.
Re: (Score:3)
don't have a Facebook account.
But then you're a anti-social and therefore likely to go on a shooting rampage.
Seems to me that these days having a facebook page is pre-requisite for a shooting rampage.
Re:But now... (Score:4, Funny)
Yeah just give them your /. password instead.
Re:But now... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
I've had several job offers recently[1] and I don't have a Facebook account. Mind you, that might be because I actually talk to people, rather than using a large corporation as a proxy for social interaction.
[1] I actually just accepted one, which I wasn't planning on doing. I'm going to miss being freelance...
Re: (Score:3)
-"ok mister, we're looking for social media integration experts.. "
-"well, I don't do facebook. or slashdot. or any of that !!"
I think it's telling how ridiculous american culture has become when a large amount of people expect their potential employees to be slave-bitches for anything they come up with.
I mean, facebook shouldn't have to do this. it should be expected that you don't ask for peoples letters if you're looking to employ people. did the soviets win? why not just start asking for blowjobs from a
Re: (Score:3)
Just how many '70s have you been through? More importantly, do you need an apprentice? I'm up for dark rituals.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Right, and those of us who don't live in Mommy's basement realize that there's ways to find a job without allowing your employer to violate you.
Or did you think that "lying to get a job from an employer under false pretenses" and "working for an employer who you know to be morally and ethically bankrupt" are exemplary characteristics of adult independence?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
At which point you inform them that you do not have a Facebook account because you are not in high school.
Re:But now... (Score:4, Insightful)
Ditto. From an interviewer point of view, the question might actually have some value for the opposite reason. Interviewer: "I need you to give me access to your Facebook account, Twitter account, webmail account, etc.". Interviewee "OK, no problem". Interviewer "Then you're a very foolish person who clearly gives not two damns about data privacy and are likely to be a complete liability to our company's data, network security and fraud defences. But thanks for your time".
Re: (Score:3)
...employers will just ask potential employees to accept their HR staff's friend request, as the article yesterday stated. But one could easily get around that by making sure the HR staff is in a Facebook list that has no access to a user's wall/timeline and other info.
Your personal, private affairs do not belong in the workplace at all. Although I have friends at work, and we do socialize with them, none of them are facebook friends, nor ever will be -- and they all seem to be OK with that.
I'm not sure what I would do if a personal friend came to work for this company, but since it isn't likely I won't fret.
Time and time again I see people losing jobs -- and friends -- by failing to keep their employers/jobs/work out of their private lives and vice-versa.
My answer
Re:But now... (Score:5, Funny)
Have you come across any employers who do like to be told to fuck off?
Yes, but I work in a specialized industry. If you'll excuse me, I have 13 more movies to finish by the end of the week.
Re: (Score:3)
Ever actually happened? (Score:4, Insightful)
Has a single company that has done this been identified by name? Every article I've seen does NOT mention any name, making it sound more anecdotal than factual.
Re:Ever actually happened? (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I was told that reading the article was considered poor etiquette here.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Has a single company that has done this been identified by name? Every article I've seen does NOT mention any name, making it sound more anecdotal than factual.
maryland department of corrections was screening guards this way. Looking for gang signs. West Coooast! *does the twisted finger thing* http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/aclu-facebook-password_n_1372242.html [huffingtonpost.com].
Re: (Score:3)
Prison guards are not much different from regular mall guards - they are not law enforcement officers working for a government agency.
Maryland Department of Corrections doesn't sound like a government agency to you?
A sworn law enforcement officer, or perhaps more accurately a sworn peace officer, covers a wide array of jobs. This includes corrections officers.
Your opinion reminds me of college. Nearly every quarter there was a story in the school paper about some student who got arrested after telling campus police that he didn't have to listen to them, that they were just rent-a-cops, etc. In truth they were sworn peace officers wi
Re: (Score:3)
School system here in NC tried doing it.. they didn't make it a condition of employments but rather sent out notice of guidelines on who teachers could and could not have contact with and requested their info so they could verify.. nothing really happened with it that i know of as my wife doesn't use facebook.
Re:Ever actually happened? (Score:4, Funny)
Wait, Facebook is demanding their applicants give up their Facebook passwords? Fucking bastards!
What happens when the answer is "mu?" (Score:3)
I find myself curious as to what these (current or prospective) employers do with candidates who, assuming they meet all other criteria for the job, don't have social media accounts? That's one I haven't seen addressed in the various articles that have discussed this topic in recent weeks.
Re:What happens when the answer is "mu?" (Score:5, Insightful)
What happens when the answer is "mu?"
They will be suspicious that you are lying and not hire you. Or they will think you are a technophobe and not hire you. Or they will think you are a cow and not hire you. That may sound unreasonable, but if they were reasonable, they would not ask for the information in the first place.
(sings). Take this job and Shove it (Score:5, Funny)
You can't have my password no more.....
Pic of GOATSE (Score:3, Funny)
I would give such an employer a little surprise to make them think twice next time. :-)
Sure I will just have a fake facebook. Pick of me on my user icon just like my real one. Give them the password and as soon as they log in have a very large zoomed in pic of the bloody ass in GOATSE as my post.
With white text caption saying you violated my rights I figured I would violate yours. Enjoy your lunch hour ... come on guys. Be creative
How about this? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
More to the point, if you ask those questions, the burden of proof lies on you, the employer, to prove that it did not affect your hiring decision. After all, why would you have asked if you didn't care about the answer? Therefore, although it is not illegal per se, it is de facto illegal.
Re: (Score:3)
No, even then they don't need to ask "age". They only need to ask whether they are legally old enough to ... "whatever". Or are you "over 16" "over 18" or whatever.
They need the answer to a simple binary yes/no question. They don't need your age quantified to answer it.
Re:How about this? (Score:5, Funny)
Why do you need to tell them you don't know it "honestly"? You could save yourself the script, and just lie.
Are you worried they are going to torture it out of you, and you genuinely need not to know it?
Already illegal (Score:5, Interesting)
My content is public (Score:3)
My content is posted publicly, but many of my friends don't do the same.
So for me to give out my password to a prospective employee would only gain them the ability to spy on people who aren't even applying for the job!
So if you want my password, get a warrant. And if you can't get a warrant because you're not law enforcement, who the hell are you to be asking in the first place?
Re:My content is public (Score:4, Interesting)
a better way to say it might be "I can't give you my password. if i were to so easily hand out my personal passwords, then how could you trust me to keep any work passwords secret"
Re: (Score:3)
Excellent answer.
and if they press on with "this is different" you give them a speil about trust, and how people that have friended you and trusted you not to hand out friends data, thus you still can not reveal the pwd.
I came back with a simple "Why?" when they asked for my pwd once. Their answer was to ensure I was not posting disparaging content about them or my previous employer. I responded that would be silly of me, if someone with a public profile re-posed it it would be public, in addition my prev
current laws and terms of service (Score:4, Interesting)
Since the current laws about unauthorized network/computer access are vague enough to include doing something against any website's terms of service couldn't FB just put it their TOS? Then setup a bounty or whistle blower reporting system.
Sure, I'll give you that FB password... (Score:5, Insightful)
Right after you give me the root password to the company's servers!
Seems like a fair trade to me...
Re:Sure, I'll give you that FB password... (Score:4, Insightful)
Right after you give me the root password to the company's servers!
Seems like a fair trade to me...
Um, no.
I have the root password to the company's servers. It's sort of required when being a senior sysadmin.
But the company has no right to my private accounts, any more than I have the right to access the CEOs or HR people's private accounts.
I don't have a FB account, so that one is rather easy not to give them. But if they asked for another non-work account, I'd report them to the company's ethical hotline.
Re:Sure, I'll give you that FB password... (Score:5, Funny)
I imagine your usage of that password will be just as ethical as theirs, too. So yeah, fair trade.
Oh, completely ethical! Trust me! I just want to validate you all are a company that I want to be part of. As part of that analysis, I'll be poking around your servers to ensure that you have the proper security, logging, and auditing set up correctly. And review your financial and accounting software. And I want to make sure that you're friends with the right sort of other companies, and that you're not posting any inappropriate or obscene files on your servers, of course. Don't want to join a company and later have it blow up in a security or financial scandal. I mean really, I can't afford to have my reputation tarnished by being associated with *that* kind of company, can I?
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Easy Screening (Score:5, Funny)
I'd just use this as a screening question for potential employees.
If you willingly give me your login credentials I should just assume you're a moron and not hire you.
My answer is "I don't use facebook" (Score:5, Insightful)
And it will always be my answer. Whether or not I use facebook is no one's business. Not my family. Not my friends. Not my co-workers or employers. "Please wear this delightful necklace with a GPS and a camera to take pictures of whatever is around you at any given time. BTW, it's a condition of employment." There's just something dark and sinister about that. How any employer could think this is a great idea when they know damned well they wouldn't be willing to share that information with their employees is looking upon their employees as a "lesser being" and certainly not equal as idealized by the US constitution. If this is not a "discriminatory act" it most definitely leads to discriminatory behavior.
There is already a list of things an employer cannot ask an employee for. I think it's time to make a law which issues a WHITE LIST of things employers can ask for rather than using the black list system we have today. The potential for this to become an ever-growing problem is too great.
Re:My answer is "I don't use facebook" (Score:5, Funny)
Whether or not I use facebook is no one's business. Not my family. Not my friends.
That's one quiet Facebook profile you've got there...
Re:My answer is "I don't use facebook" (Score:4, Interesting)
I went in for a haircut recently. first question out of this clerk's mouth was 'your email address?'.
in total surprise, I delayed and then said 'uhm, no; just here for a haircut, please'.
they had no problem accepting no; but it was damned strange to have that be the first 'hello' from them. or really, any question at all!
the guy in front of me happily gave them their desired info. goes to show that if you ask a sheep to do something, likely they will not even question it.
I'm not adding my name to some mailing list that a haircutter is collecting! wtf??
Re: (Score:3)
Well how else are they going to keep track of your hair cut records and forward them on to your next barber??
Re:My answer is "I don't use facebook" (Score:4, Insightful)
That's great - if you don't use Facebook. If you do use it, then you're *lying* to a prospective employer, telling them you don't. Two wrongs don't make a right. They can't coerce you into giving it, so simply decline to provide it.
Employer: "May we have your Facebook password so we can (save the children / fight the global war on terror / end domestic assault / some other well-meaning but bullshit excuse for invading your privacy)?"
You: "No you may not. My use (or non-use) of Facebook is none of your business. I guess we're done here."
The simple fact that they ASK for it, regardless of the reasoning and regardless of whether or not you use it, should be enough to warn you that you don't want to work for them.
So employers do ask for Facebook passwords? (Score:3)
Up until now I thought it was just an urban legend. "Like any company would smear itself with mud by doing something so vile and contemptible." And now it turns out, this actually happened!? o_O
As a Finn, I hope this is one of those macabre policies of corporations running rampant and unchecked, confined to the USA. At least in Finland (and I think most of the EU) this shit just wouldn't stand legal ground.
Re:So employers do ask for Facebook passwords? (Score:5, Insightful)
its worse. many (!) employers ask/demand to have you pee in a cup, for them.
its fine and reasonable to say that you don't have a FB account. but just try telling them you don't have any piss in you! they just won't believe it.
Another law? (Score:3, Insightful)
DMCA (Score:4, Interesting)
Why does the DMCA not apply? Why are these companies all not in violation of the the DMCA.
The users contents is private and password protected. The users content is copyright protected work of the user and their friends.
***ANY*** attempt to violate the users password protection would seem to me to be a violation of DMCA. Does not ANY method to break DRM include intimidation of the key holder ?
Since when can Facebook pass laws? (Score:3, Interesting)
Did I miss something?
I know we've all heard about regulatory capture by corporations and lobbyists, but has it gotten so blatant that businesses don't even try to hide it nowadays?
Selling your information (Score:4, Insightful)
Don't *ask* (Score:3)
It is possible (and very easy) for a company to install key loggers and monitoring software on their own company computers. Once employees steal time from their employer and update their Facebook page the employer now has the password. When the employer does use the password they check it through a proxy service like Tor. Easy, untraceable, and quiet.
When there is something that the employer doesn't like on the Facebook page the employee will face eventual job termination. Their performance reviews will be poor, the monitoring logs will be used to show misuse of company computers and time, and any complaints by customers will be fully utilized. The content of the Facebook posting will never be referenced and the person will be terminated for valid reasons. After being fired any unemployment benefits will be contested (yes, the ex-employee usually wins regardless), and then appealed (50-50 chance).
Certainly this is not how it is done at any company that I manage.
I think it's a good test for a sysadmin (Score:4, Insightful)
If he coughs up the password, definitely do not hire him.
Re:wait... (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
Many laws are not drafted by legislators, they are drafted by various third parties with various agendas pushing any number of special interests made up of people with inside knowledge on how 'the process' works including former legislators and staffers. They are all introduced by current legislators with ties to those groups (Chambers of commerce, political action committees, other membership based organizations, etc...) though.
Re:Ooh! Ooh! Simple Solution (Score:5, Insightful)
As I posted in a similar story discussion, this will just become an HR screen checkbox requirement that will play out like this:
"Please provide your FacePlace login information here."
"I don't use FacePlace."
"Right. Applicant failed to produce FacePlace login information."
Re: (Score:3)
Sit back and watch the HR weenie crap themselves.
Re: (Score:3)
"Insinuated he may be working for a Chinese corporation for industrial espionage."
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
except in the UK where they ask your religion, your sexual preference, your race etc.
True, but it always says "you do not have to supply this information" then something about not doing so won't affect your likelihood of getting a job but that they hope you will because it helps them monitor their diversity.
I dunno (Score:3)
I dunno, didn't we already have an article years ago about how those higher up the hierarchy tend to be more sociopathic? Well, here's the original link: Is Your Boss A Psychopath? [fastcompany.com]
But anyway, if you have to ask "how much of an asshole does someone have to be to do X?" I think you'll find that there are big enough assholes to do just about anything. Especially in positions that involve money, power, or both. In fact it seems like even the drive to end up in a position with enough power to no longer have to g
Re:So I've never had any social media account (Score:4, Informative)
Says Mr. 6534 /. account. Bad news for you: This is social media, too.
And in case you didn't look, there's the option to put all sorts of crud in your profile, plus non-blocked people can scan every comment you ever posted.
Re: (Score:3)
fb assumes under their Terms of Use you are who you say you are subject to expulsion if you violate. AFAIK no other forum requires that. If I want to call myself Lord Awesome then I am Lord Awesome. My W2 however has a different name on it. That's my point. And in fact More than one person can be Lord Awesome.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:This seems like common sense... (Score:4, Insightful)
It makes me feel dirty, but "Go Facebook!"
On the other hand, the cynical side of me thinks this is just so Mark can monetize giving the information to employers as part of a "background check". They could provide "compatibility rankings" based on employeer criteria without ever letting the employeer see the private data itself and thus avoiding privacy issues. Yeap, I think I'll keep with my no Facebook policy and if someone doesn't want to hire me because I don't have one, I don't want to work for them anyway.