It is difficult recall the exact moment that I decided to sign up for the world's most popular social networking site. Actually, I would be hard pressed to remember the year status updates entered my daily routine and my group of "friends" increased more than I had ever dreamed, or wanted. Facebook has irreversibly altered the social landscape for all ages, from teenagers to grandparents. Without Facebook I doubt I would ever wish anyone happy birthday (on time) and surely would know a heck of a lot less about hundreds of people that I barely know.
These days even a marriage engagement is not considered official, until it has been confirmed via Facebook. Many Facebook users post information intended to only be viewed by "friends". This content could be very embarrassing or even personally damaging if viewed by a possible future employer. This is why the stories circulating last week regarding companies demanding access to Facebook user passwords is so shocking and disturbing. From a libertarian perspective I see this issue from two distinct perspectives. The deplorable behavior by the hiring companies' by violating personal privacy needs to be addressed, but we need to allow the market and rule of law regulate or eliminate these abhorrent practice. The Federal Government should absolutely not get involved.
Imagine how uncomfortable it would be if a prospective employer asked a potential employee to bring personal photo albums and private letters to a job interview. There cannot be many people who would agree to work for a company that has such a blatant disregard for personal privacy. Personally, if I ever found myself in a situation where an employer requested private information that I was uncomfortable sharing I would politely decline and no longer entertain accepting their offer of employment.
Defenders of this interview practice have compared the stipulation of supplying a Facebook password to the requirement, imposed by many companies, of providing a urine sample for drug testing. Both practices are a violation of privacy. Drug testing prior to gaining employment has become standard procedure in our society. This is due to the fact that most people do not take offense to the fact that the government or corporations are free to determine and monitor what you place in your body. Unless the people change their views on this subject the market will continue to encourage these practices.
Requesting access to passwords that enable a employer to gain further access into a prospective employees' personal information is the logical result of our societies' lack of awareness regarding personal privacy. The hiring party will take advantage of every bit of information that they are able to legally obtain in order to decrease the amount of risk they acquire by adding a new employee.
Be wary of inciting additional government intervention in the hiring process. All this would accomplish is wasting more Federal funds and increasing the cost of hiring by demanding compliance with more federal regulations. Additional cost obtaining labor would exert a downward force on wages.
Facebook issued a warning to employers last week claiming that forcing prospective employees to yield passwords to employers was a violation of privacy and potentially illegal. Erin Egan, Facebook's chief privacy of policy officer, had the following to say:
Defenders of this interview practice have compared the stipulation of supplying a Facebook password to the requirement, imposed by many companies, of providing a urine sample for drug testing. Both practices are a violation of privacy. Drug testing prior to gaining employment has become standard procedure in our society. This is due to the fact that most people do not take offense to the fact that the government or corporations are free to determine and monitor what you place in your body. Unless the people change their views on this subject the market will continue to encourage these practices.
Requesting access to passwords that enable a employer to gain further access into a prospective employees' personal information is the logical result of our societies' lack of awareness regarding personal privacy. The hiring party will take advantage of every bit of information that they are able to legally obtain in order to decrease the amount of risk they acquire by adding a new employee.
Be wary of inciting additional government intervention in the hiring process. All this would accomplish is wasting more Federal funds and increasing the cost of hiring by demanding compliance with more federal regulations. Additional cost obtaining labor would exert a downward force on wages.
Facebook issued a warning to employers last week claiming that forcing prospective employees to yield passwords to employers was a violation of privacy and potentially illegal. Erin Egan, Facebook's chief privacy of policy officer, had the following to say:
As a user, you shouldn't be forced to share your private information and communications just to get a job, and as the friend of a user, you shouldn't have to worry that your private information or communications will be revealed to someone you don't know and didn't intend to share with just because that user is looking for a job.Only time will tell how the legality of implementing this practice is viewed by the courts. Even if these methods are deemed not to be legal, companies will continue to blur the lines of privacy. Any government intervention will only result in decreasing wages and minimizing employment opportunities. The only way to get companies to respect privacy is for the individuals seeking employment to reject intrusive hiring procedures. When free individuals take ownership of their personal lives and private information, hiring companies will be forced to adapt in order to stay competitive.
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