Senators Ask Feds To Probe Facebook Log-in Requests

thomst writes "Cnet's Michelle Meyers reports that democratic senators Richard Blumenthal and Charles Schumer have asked the Justice Department to investigate what they call a 'new disturbing trend' of prospective employers demanding job applicants to turn over user names and passwords for their social networks. 'Employers have no right to ask job applicants for their house keys or to read their diaries — why should they be able to ask them for their Facebook passwords and gain unwarranted access to a trove of private information about what we like, what messages we send to people, or who we are friends with?' asked Schumer. Last Friday, in response to complaints from employees, Facebook published a post expressing its opposition to the practice, which it said undermines both the security and the privacy of the user and the user's friends. Erin Egan, the company's chief privacy officer for policy, offered that employers who demand password information for prospective employees might just end up getting sued."

Frist Psot

[Galestar]

Posted from my employee's account

Re:Frist Psot

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude! You could get sued!

Posted from parent's employee's account

Ways to have fun with this

[SemperUbi]

I'd say that if they make their request in writing, and I sign it in the presence of a witness and of course get to keep a copy, I'll agree.

It'd be fun to see them break out in a cold sweat.

But let's say they agree. After all is signed, then I say "You do realize that my profile likely contains at least one piece of protected information that would be illegal for you to ask me to share, don't you?"

Heh...

Re:Pah! Antisocial network

[Anonymous Coward]

People always ask me why I act like such a douche on Slashdot. Now I know why; could you please stop using my name?

-- Sincerely, Oswald McWeany

Re:Pah! Antisocial network

[Sir_Eptishous]

Boss: Son, what are those icons in your browser?
Employee: Thats ScriptBlock, Adblock Plus and Ghostery, sir.
Boss: Where'd you get them?
Employee: From Mozilla, sir.
Boss: What is that you've got written on wallpaper?
Employee: "Information Wants to be Free", sir.
Boss: You have "Information Wants to be Free" on your desktop wallpaper and you have ScriptBlock, Adblock Plus and Ghostery running in your browser. What's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?
Employee: No, sir.
Boss: You'd better get your head and your ass wired together, or HR will take a giant shit on you.
Employee: Yes, sir.
Boss: Now answer my question or you'll be standing tall before the man.
Employee: I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of privacy, sir.
Boss: The what?
Employee: The duality of privacy. The Moglen thing, sir.
Boss: Whose side are you on, son?
Employee: Our side, sir.
Boss: Don't you love your company?
Employee: Yes, sir.
Boss: Then how about getting with the program? Why don't you jump on the team and come on in for the big win?
Employee: Yes, sir.
Boss: Son, all I've ever asked of my employees is that they obey my orders as they would the word of God. We are here to help the users, because inside every user there is a Facebook account trying to get out. It's a hardball world, son. We've gotta keep our heads until this privacy craze blows over.
Employee: Aye-aye, sir.