COMMENTARY | According to a recent news report by Bloomberg news, Facebook itself is discouraging employers from asking potential employees to reveal their Facebook passwords as a condition for employment. This comes in response to growing scrutiny over a growing trend of employers asking employees and potential employees to reveal their Facebook logins and passwords as a condition of employment.
The American Civil Liberties Union has joined Facebook in the outcry against this practice. According to Facebook Chief Privacy Officer, Erin Egan, Facebook is thinking of asking policy makers to take legal action against those engaged in this practice. They go on further to say that it is a violation of its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities to share a Facebook password.
This issue may find its way into a legislative bill prohibiting employers from this practice. The issue is of growing concern because it not only involves the privacy of the employee, but also the privacy of all the friends and connections this employee has on Facebook. U.S Senator, Richard Blumenthalfrom Connecticut, has proposed legislation to stop the practice of employers asking their employees to reveal Facebook passwords.
This practice is alarming to me and has the distinct feel of a "big brother" sort of society. I have recently been thinking of changing jobs, but I definitely will not be giving any potential employer access to my Facebook password. Furthermore, should this become a condition of employment for remaining at my current job; I would choose to resign. If this becomes the norm, where will it stop? Could employers also at some point be allowed to listen to their employee's private phone conversations? After all, the employee could be disparaging the company in their conversations with friends and associates.
I have a right to my private life; and, the last time I checked, social media sites were the personal property of the user. Employer's access to their employees' social media sites should remain off-limits. I applaud Facebook for discouraging this disturbing trend in the business sect.
I am eagerly awaiting to see how Facebook will follow-up on this clear violation of its users' rights. Since their initial public offering in February of this year, Facebook users have been wondering what changes would be coming for user accounts and policies. Hopefully, this disturbing trend will quickly become only a bad memory.
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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-person-wont-potential-employer-facebook-password-151300534.html
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