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Job interview? Fork over Facebook Password

Cleon said:
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.
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There's also the matter of criminal background checks being searches of information on you which is public (even if you would rather it wasn't).
 
crimresearch said:
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.
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It would be more to your advantage to take the PIN not the word
 
Ryokan said:
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.
[snip]
Are all these valid arguments to you? Is there anything in your private sphere you wouldn't give up to your employer?
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You as a prospective employee would be free to deny access to any of these, and if it's their policy to require it for the job, you won't get the job. They'll have to find someone who will give that to them, or change their policy. Obviously it's in the employer's best interest to not request anything that isn't very useful for security reasons, or they'll be turning away otherwise-excelent prospects.

Maybe they are going too far by checking Facebook. Then again, if it's a security-minded business, they're bound to get employees who are more cautious about what they post where...
 
Pulvinar said:
You as a prospective employee would be free to deny access to any of these, and if it's their policy to require it for the job, you won't get the job. They'll have to find someone who will give that to them, or change their policy. Obviously it's in the employer's best interest to not request anything that isn't very useful for security reasons, or they'll be turning away otherwise-excelent prospects.

Maybe they are going too far by checking Facebook. Then again, if it's a security-minded business, they're bound to get employees who are more cautious about what they post where...
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If it's a security-minded business, they wouldn't ask in the first place. "Do not share passwords" is rule #1 in IT security.
 
Pulvinar said:
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!"
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There's still no transaction there.

FB are taking information in exchange for services. It's a transaction.

A prospective employer is demanding it in return for no commitment whatsover.

You really can't see the difference?
 
Checkmite said:
There's also the matter of criminal background checks being searches of information on you which is public (even if you would rather it wasn't).
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Same goes for what your information on FB that is public. I'd expect HR departments to look into that. If you're stupid enough to make your drunk party photos available to the public, I can understand why that would give an employer some pause. If you're discreet enough to keep the details about your life private, I'd think that would count in your favor.
 
Pulvinar said:
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?
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Seriously?

I'm just so floored by your position that I can't seem to formulate the appropriate snarky response.

There is a massive difference.

You're not required to use Facebook. But as soon as you get it, it's your private data. Employers can't demand you hand over the keys to your house, and lockbox, either.
 
Cleon said:
If it's a security-minded business, they wouldn't ask in the first place. "Do not share passwords" is rule #1 in IT security.
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Maybe it's a test: if you freely give your password, you're shown the door.
 
ravdin said:
Same goes for what your information on FB that is public. I'd expect HR departments to look into that. If you're stupid enough to make your drunk party photos available to the public, I can understand why that would give an employer some pause. If you're discreet enough to keep the details about your life private, I'd think that would count in your favor.
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Yes; as I said, if an employer wants to look at your wall and sees your drunk party pics that you voluntarily posted and made public, there's really no argument one could make against that.

Asking for a password so you can see a person's non-public data is out-of-line.
 
ravdin said:
I wonder how they handle it if you say you don't have a Facebook account. There are still some holdouts!
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Like me. I suppose I'd be excluded as a candidate for not having a Facebook account. :rolleyes:

Pulvinar said:
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!"
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Wow, that's the most blatantly ridiculous strawman I've seen in a long time. Are you trolling, or do you really not see a difference between information that your employer HAS to have (to even be allowed to, you know, pay you) and private information about your personal life that doesn't remotely concern them?

I can't believe there would be anyone defending this ethically bankrupt, abject stupidity. This quote in particular pisses me off more than it should:

And since 2006, the McLean County, Ill., sheriff's office has been one of several Illinois sheriff's departments that ask applicants to sign into social media sites to be screened.

Chief Deputy Rusty Thomas defended the practice, saying applicants have a right to refuse. But no one has ever done so. Thomas said that "speaks well of the people we have apply."
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F U, Chief Deputy Thomas. F U you fascist <female genitalia>.
 
Checkmite said:
Asking for a password so you can see a person's non-public data is out-of-line.
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And giving the password is even more out-of-line.
I'm tempted to say that if an employer asks for the password and the employee gives it, they deserve each other.
 
3point14 said:
There's still no transaction there.

FB are taking information in exchange for services. It's a transaction.

A prospective employer is demanding it in return for no commitment whatsover.

You really can't see the difference?
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No fundamental difference. Here you're trying to sell your services to a prospective employer. When selling it often pays to give at your expense in hopes of gaining much more, as presumedly would be the case if you got this job.
 
Checkmite said:
Asking for a password so you can see a person's non-public data is out-of-line.
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Absolutely, you can and should refuse to share your password. It's a real shame that some job applicants are apparently desperate enough to do just about anything.
 
Morrigan said:
Wow, that's the most blatantly ridiculous strawman I've seen in a long time. Are you trolling, or do you really not see a difference between information that your employer HAS to have (to even be allowed to, you know, pay you) and private information about your personal life that doesn't remotely concern them?
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It was an extreme example given for humor, but it wasn't a strawman. It clearly fits: your name is another piece of information requested from, but not coerced out of, you: you're presumedly free to walk out when either is requested. There are sensitive jobs that may quite well require info about one's personal life.
 
Seismosaurus said:
Said it before : I am only vaguely aware of what facebook is, but the more I hear about it, the more glad I am that I have nothing to do with it.

Hmmm, I wonder if actually not having a facebook account might disqualify a person as well?
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I have an account, but I only use it to message people when I've lost their phone numbers and email addresses, and to allow others to do the same for me. Otherwise, it is empty.
 
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