Social Media Passwords Wanted by Employers:

     What is “privacy”?  Does it still exist in the United States of America?  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, privacy is defined as: a) The quality or state of being apart from company or observation: Seclusion, and b) Freedom from unauthorized intrusion. 

     If asked by an employer to provide your password(s) to any and all social media accounts before you can be considered as a possible candidate for hiring would you provide your password(s)?  That is what happened to Mr. Justin Basset, a New York City statistician, during a job interview.  In an effort to select a qualified job candidate, employers are going beyond Google searching a prospective employee; they are asking you for your social media account user name(s) and password(s).  The biggest question is; are companies legally able to request such information or is this invasion of your privacy?  According to the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) web site, “The ACLU believes that this is a gross violation of personal privacy because people are entitled to their private lives online just as they are offline.”  Employers asking for social media user names and passwords seem to be a growing trend among companies.  It has not only alarmed potential job candidates; it has also grabbed the attention of political personnel.  Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) is so outraged by the employer’s need to invade the privacy of potential employees that he is writing a Federal Bill to outlaw the practice.  The senator said, “I am deeply troubled by the practices that seem to be spreading voraciously around the country.”  He added, “The bill that I am writing to stop this practice will be ready in the very near future.”  Facebook, a very popular social media site also weighed in on the privacy issue of employers.  Erin Egan, the site’s chief privacy officer writes, "This practice undermines the privacy expectations and the security of both the user and the user's friends.   It also potentially exposes the employer who seeks this access to unanticipated legal liability."  So the next time you’re on a job interview and the employer asks you for your user name and password to your social media account(s) don’t be afraid to say no; your privacy depends on it.