Is giving your Facebook password a part of the job interview? According to the Huffington Post a job applicant in Seattle was asked for his facebook password during his interview to override his private facebook account. For employers it's simple, Facebook is playing a major role in people's lives and a comment said by someone on facebook could ruin the companies image locally and abroad. Employers want an individual who would represent their company in a positive manner and not one who will tarnish their reputation. In an interview with the Huffington Post Captain Mike Harvey analyzed the importance of social media, "In the past, we've talked to friends and neighbors, but a lot of times we found that applicants interact more through social media sites than they do with real friends," said Capt. Mike Harvey. "Their virtual friends will know more about them than a person living 30 yards away from them."
However, is this illegal? According to the Robert Collins a corrections officer employers demanding facebook passwords is an evasion of privacy rights. Collins added “To me, that’s still invasive,” Robert Collins also latter added, “I can appreciate the desire to learn more about the applicant, but it’s still a violation of people’s personal privacy.” According to the Washington Post many applicants some applicants are agreeing to the employers demands as many don't want to risk losing a potential job.
This incident has sparked a debate and now two US senators are joining in. According to TIME, senators Chuck Schummer and Richard Blumenthal are asking an attorney to see if this violates US law. Both senators have stated that this is a violation of privacy and goes against certain acts such as the Stored Communications Act. The question is how much rights do we have through the internet and other new media developments. In an interview with TIME attorney Catherine Crump said, "“I think it’s going to take some years for courts to decide whether Americans in the digital age have the same privacy rights." It's going to be interesting to see how social media develops into our daily life.
Here is a video dealing with the issue