Employers Asking for Facebook Password from Potential Employees

What is happening in this country?  We went from adding employee rights, and increasing privacy laws, to now all of a sudden being faced with employers mingling not only in our sexual affairs by wanting to decide if our use of contraceptives are within their "moral standards", but potential employers also wanting full insight in our private lives by asking job seekers for their Facebook passwords?  Something is seriously wrong!

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Since when did employers gain the right to know everything about us?  Since when did becoming an employee mean that our employers gained full insight in our private lives, our opinions, sense of humor, and our activities during non-working hours and weekends?  Enough already!

What's next?  They'll want our bank account log in to see how we manage our money?  Or our house keys, so they can go through our night stand?

I understand that social media has been a useful tool for employers in the hiring process.  But as more and more of us are using the privacy tools available, to avoid "outsiders" seeing what we post on our pages, our personal information and pictures, it does not open the door for potential employers to invade our privacy by asking for the log in information.  According to Huffington Post, Orin Kerr, a George Washington University professor of law, calls it “an egregious privacy violation” and compared it to asking for someone’s house keys. I couldn't agree more. You hire me to do a job. When I am there, you can tell me what to do and how to do it; but outside of work, the employer has a very limited say in how I lead my life!

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One thought that entered my mind, was that anyone who is willing to give up this information to a potential employer, does not value their privacy at all.  I would see it as a big negative, and would expect that employee to bring any and all issues from home to work; not exactly the perfect employee.  Also, if he/she was so easily convinced to give up his/her own password, how secure would any company passwords be after he/she was hired? 

If ever faced with this situation, I think my answer would be: "Certainly.  I understand you would like more information about me as a person to see that I am a good fit for this company.  Then you obviously understand that I too want to ensure that the people I will be working for, are decent, professional people. So as soon as you provide me the usernames and passwords for your and the other managers' accounts, I will be happy to provide you mine."

Considering your Facebook account requires a birth date, private email address etc. etc., even if it is not visible to friends, and many of us volunteer other information such as our religious and political beliefs. If one is not hired after providing the log in information, there is a perfect discrimination lawsuit, based on age, nationality, sexual preference, religious or political belief, or whatever you might find the reason to be.... after all, this is the land of the lawsuits!  Let the fun begin!