...background checks?  From the Editorial in today's newspaper.


Quote:

Employers, including the government, have for decades now done background checks and even psychiatric screenings on job applicants to ensure that new hires are above reproach. Advertisement In recent years, those checks have grown to include Internet searches; if you go to a job interview today, count on being asked about those embarrassing photos of you and your drunken college roommates posted on your Facebook page, or the blog on which you've expounded your views on affirmative action and abortion. The city of Bozeman, Mont., now is taking those background checks into a new arena, though, and what it is doing has privacy advocates howling. Bozeman is asking anyone who applies for a job not only to provide criminal and police records, credit histories and references, but also "any and all current personal or business Web sites, Web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums." The city not only wants applicants to list those sites they have visited, but also to provide user names and passwords for the sites. That information would allow job screeners not only to check those things that applicants have posted in public places, such as the forum at stevenspointjournal.com, but also private message boards and chat rooms and other places that people might reveal even more personal -- and damning -- information about themselves. One surely can see where Bozeman leaders are coming from. Who would want to hire a new cop, only to find he previously had made inflammatory comments on a message board for skinheads and other racists? Or a social worker who -- to merge a hypothetical situation with the real world -- believes parents shouldn't be punished if they treat their children with prayer, rather than medicine, leading to the death of a child? "So, we have positions ranging from fire and police, which require people of high integrity for those positions, all the way down to the lifeguards and the folks that work in city hall here. So we do those types of investigations to make sure the people that we hire have the highest moral character and are a good fit for the city," said Bozeman city attorney Greg Sullivan. It's also easy to see the point made by privacy advocates. The Internet now makes it possible to delve deeply into facets of one's life that once were shared only with close friends and relatives -- and that applicants assumed would forever be kept private. What's the difference between a post in a private chat channel about a miserable ex-husband and a personal letter to a friend about the same worthless ex? Only the technology used to transmit the message -- and now, the ability to find that message, perhaps years after you wrote it during a particularly difficult time in your life. Ultimately it will be up to courts to decide just how far employers can go in screening applicants and poring over their e-profiles. For now, though, we offer this advice: Assume everything you post online will one day be seen by someone, somewhere, and attached to your name. You might want to think twice -- or three or four times -- before you post those bachelor party photos or hit the send button.

Quote:

For now, though, we offer this advice: Assume everything you post online will one day be seen by someone, somewhere, and attached to your name. You might want to think twice -- or three or four times -- before you post those bachelor party photos or hit the send button.

Well this goes without saying,  anyway. ....

The biggest problem that I have with Bozeman's arguments is who is to say what the "the highest moral character and are a good fit for the city" is?  I could apply and be turned down because I have a pentagram in my signature or because I have visited START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Rather sad actually

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Quote:

That was the case for one person who applied for employment with the City. The anonymous viewer emailed the news station recently to express concern with a component of the city's background check policy, which states that to be considered for a job applicants must provide log-in information and passwords for social network sites in which they participate. The requirement is included on a waiver statement applicants must sign, giving the City permission to conduct an investigation into the person's "background, references, character, past employment, education, credit history, criminal or police records." "Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.," the City form states. There are then three lines where applicants can list the Web sites, their user names and log-in information and their passwords. ..... Another concern the applicant raised was that by providing the City with a Facebook user name and password the City not only has access to the applicant's page but also to the pages belonging to all of the applicant's Facebook "friends."

I never thought of this last part until I read this in the article.   This is not just a privacy issue for the applicant but other people as well, I would assume.

Of course nothing will stop them for asking for it, until someone refuses to provide the info and then sues them for not hiring them because of not providing them with the info.

Power of the American Courts. ::)

They bagged the idea.

     Potter

Potter wrote on Jun 25^th, 2009 at 10:22pm:

They bagged the idea.      Potter

Proves that at least one person has brains.

So the Editor who wrote that is behind on the facts?  Please site me the details in links.


I'd LOVE to let them know they are late to the table on the "news".

I will probably get flamed for this, but... who would want to live in Montana?

Frank,

No flames, but you are talking about one of the most beautiful states in the country in my opinion, and I've been in 47 of the lower 48.  It has everything from mountains to plains to desert, 10 months of winter, one month of early spring, and one month of late fall. ;D  I loved going across the High Line at night.  There is one place I would stop at about 1 or 2 in the morning.  It was on the top of a small rise, and you could see for close to 50 miles, and not see a man made light anywhere!  The starlight was bright enough to make out words on a newspaper.  Not quite bright enough to read, but you could make out the words.  You have no idea of the beauty of it until you experience it.  It is not just something you see, you experience it.

It also has some of the friendliest people in the country.

Jerry

it almost puts tears in your eyes eh jerry.  moonlit nights in the wintertime coming across i-90 -35 degrees with the moon glistening off the frost and snow covered mountains knowing in the back of your head that if your diesel gels up you could die. i'm gonna miss it terribly :'(

anyways back to the topic. i don't see how anybody would have the right to get your passwords from your personal business for any reason unless you were the unibomber. criminal background check or a drug test, ok fine.

if they have to dig that far up your ass to get the job, hows it going to be once your working there.

i'm licensed to haul anything from rocket fuel to uranium and i didn't have to go through any of that.  

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FrankF wrote on Jun 26^th, 2009 at 12:10am:

I will probably get flamed for this, but... who would want to live in Montana?

If I lived in Montana, not only would I be able to experience everything Jerry describes, but I'd also know that my neighbors have my back and that I have theirs.

Many forums besides this one have password/username sharing policies, so they are asking a person to forfeit their membership status with their associated sites.  

Asking for passwords for anything is a HUGE step beyond violation of privacy if you ask me.  A full background check will get them any info they need anyway.

Geeze, when I lived in Canada they couldn't even ask you for your social until AFTER you were hired (legally) with the exception of the federal government who works under different labo(u)r laws.

MySpace, Twitter and Facebook have been used for lawsuits and employment checks for awhile now, but to ask for passwords and usernames? Unreal....

Cat