Job interview? Fork over Facebook Password

[Rasmus]

There is no legitimate reason for a potential employer to need *user* access to anything.

FTFY.

The second they would ask me that, I would walk out of the interview and possibly see if the interviewer's boss could spare a minute or two.

 

[3point14]

I have to say, I'm immidiately leaving any interview where they ask me for my facebook user name, let alone the password.

 

[Checkmite]

The "free market" is a backdoor way to create a totalitarian state.

Constitution forbids government from doing drugs tests? Have employers do it.

Constitution forbids government from going through private email accounts and facebook profiles? Have employers do it.

BS; unless your employer is the government, the government still doesn't get access to any of those things just because an employer tries to.

 

[Checkmite]

I have to say, I'm immidiately leaving any interview where they ask me for my facebook user name, let alone the password.

I agree. There's no justifiable reason an employer would need to be going through your Facebook account. I can't really complain about them looking at information you choose to make public; but private is private.

 

[Pulvinar]

So why not hand over your bank account information and PIN to a total stranger because they claim to have a job opening?

After all the bank already has it, and the prospective employer might only use it to check your financial history.

What could possibly be the harm?

What could possibly be the harm of hiring a thief? Trust has to go both ways.

 

[Babbylonian]

No, they are asking for the login and password, period.

If their legitimate goal was purely to investigate, then she could have turned to him and asked him to set the add/share information control.

There is no legitimate reason for a potential employer to need *user* access to anything.

Or she could have simply asked whatever questions to which she thought his Facebook information would provide the answers. That would be my initial response: "Ask me what you like." I would not, however, enable their fishing expedition.

Thinking further about it, the proper response (to a functionary doing the interview) might be, "I'd like to talk to your boss, please." When they ask why, you could tell them that you're contemplating being a test case for privacy violations by prospective employers and you'd like to give them the opportunity to make a case for their policy in order to possibly avoid being taken to court.

 

[Cleon]

What could possibly be the harm of hiring a thief? Trust has to go both ways.

I don't have an objection to an employer running a criminal background check (I kind of expect it). What that has to do with violating Facebook's TOS and basic IT security policies by asking for a password is beyond me.

 

[Toke]

FTFY.

The second they would ask me that, I would walk out of the interview and possibly see if the interviewer's boss could spare a minute or two.

Same here, perhaps with some inquiries to the employers/interviewers sanity.

 

[NoahFence]

No, they are asking for the login and password, period.

If their legitimate goal was purely to investigate, then she could have turned to him and asked him to set the add/share information control.

There is no legitimate reason for a potential employer to need *user* access to anything.

...alternatively, they could...

you know....

ask for the information?

Chances are pretty darn good that the password for Facebook is the same as the password for other things.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

They should just open an account with a photo of a hot guy/girl and ask to friend the employee...

 

[Tony]

BS; unless your employer is the government, the government still doesn't get access to any of those things just because an employer tries to.

Irrelevant. There is still an authority using coercion to get you to do something you don't want or need to do. Reagan understood this when he pissed on Americans' of their right to not have their privacy invaded by employees when he pressured companies to drug test employees.

 

[Pulvinar]

I don't have an objection to an employer running a criminal background check (I kind of expect it). What that has to do with violating Facebook's TOS and basic IT security policies by asking for a password is beyond me.

You don't think a criminal background check would be intrusive?

You would already have to trust the people at Facebook (presumedly all strangers to you) with everything you put there. They don't need your password to see it. Why aren't people here up in arms about that in the first place?

 

[3point14]

You don't think a criminal background check would be intrusive?

You would already have to trust the people at Facebook (presumedly all strangers to you) with everything you put there. They don't need your password to see it. Why aren't people here up in arms about that in the first place?

You really can't see the difference between placing your personal information volunatarily on a website that provides a service in recompence and simply givin that information to a prospective employer who will give you nothing in return for it.

Telling FB is a transaction

Being told to provide the information by a prospective employer is coersion.

 

[Ryokan]

You would already have to trust the people at Facebook (presumedly all strangers to you) with everything you put there. They don't need your password to see it. Why aren't people here up in arms about that in the first place?

This is a very silly argument. Of course Facebook has access to the information on Facebook, otherwise there would be no Facebook. It's something we accept as part of having an account anywhere.

Would you give your employer access to your e-mails? I mean, you already have to trust the people at your e-mail provider with everything you put there. They don't need your password to see it.

Would you give your employer access to your JREF forum account? I mean, you already have to trust the people at JREF with everything you put there. They don't need your password to see it.

Would you give your employer access to your post mail? I mean, you already have to trust the people at the post office with everything you put there. They don't need your password to see it.

Would you give your employer access to your library records, video rental records or hospital records? I mean, you already have to trust the library, the video store and the hospital with what's in there. They don't need any password to see it.

Are all these valid arguments to you? Is there anything in your private sphere you wouldn't give up to your employer?

 

[Pulvinar]

You really can't see the difference between placing your personal information volunatarily on a website that provides a service in recompence and simply givin that information to a prospective employer who will give you nothing in return for it.

Telling FB is a transaction

Being told to provide the information by a prospective employer is coersion.

I assuming here that you could always walk away from the interview if you didn't want to share some requested information:

"Name, please?"
"I'm not giving you my name! That's coercion! I don't have to stand for this!"

 

[crimresearch]

What could possibly be the harm of hiring a thief? Trust has to go both ways.

And on what planet does handing a total stranger your password prove that you aren't a thief, or prove anything at all relevant to employment?

You have posted nothing that explains why it is necessary for the employer to be able to manipulate your money, or your email, or your FaceBook postings.

But hey, if you expect us to believe that you are gullible enough to actually hand over your banking account and PIN to a total stranger, I for one will take you at your word.

 

[Cleon]

You don't think a criminal background check would be intrusive?

Not particularly, considering that they're going to be giving me access to thousands of dollars' worth of computer equipment pretty much from the get-go.

You would already have to trust the people at Facebook (presumedly all strangers to you) with everything you put there. They don't need your password to see it. Why aren't people here up in arms about that in the first place?

FB's privacy policies are indeed cause for concern, and they have been discussed in various other threads.

 

[Checkmite]

Irrelevant. There is still an authority using coercion to get you to do something you don't want or need to do. Reagan understood this when he pissed on Americans' of their right to not have their privacy invaded by employees when he pressured companies to drug test employees.

It is relevant when you claim an employer's out-of-line request for personal information is evidence of a "totalitarian state". At most it's evidence of a totalitarian employer.

 

[Ryokan]

You don't think a criminal background check would be intrusive?

As intrusive as giving your employer access to your private correspondence? Lots of people, me included, use Facebook for private correspondence. I talk to my friends and my family there, often about very private matters.

Why would I want my employer to know about the personal problems my sister is going through? Why would I want my employer knowing about my mother's health problems? Why would I want my employer to know about me moaning to my friends about having my heart broken?

Unless you don't think humans have a right to privacy, you can't possibly disagree that this is none of my employer's business.

 

[Rasmus]

I assuming here that you could always walk away from the interview if you didn't want to share some requested information:

Yes, and there are a lot of questions where my reaction would be just that.

"Name, please?"
"I'm not giving you my name! That's coercion! I don't have to stand for this!"

... and now you're really just trolling.